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Silver Surfers: Riding the Wave of

Technology

By: Shauna Waters

“Aging  is  not  lost  youth,  but  a  new  

stage  of  opportunity  and  strength”-­‐  Be5y  

Friedan  

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As  individuals  age,  they  may  become  more  and  more  isolated.  

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Technology  has  the  poten>al  to  improve  and  enhance  the  lives  of  seniors  in  a  variety  of  

ways…  

…once  we  iden4fy  and  break  down  barriers  to  

use.  

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“Today,  59%  of  [American]  seniors  report  that  they  go  online”-­‐  Pew  Research  Centre  

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Seniors  who  use  the  Internet  are  mainly  mo+vated  to  do  so  by  children  and  

grandchildren.  

Skype,  e-­‐mail  and  social  networks  are  easily  accessible  ways  to  stay  connected  with  family  

and  friends.  

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Internet  use  can  lead  to  enhanced  cogni+on  

through  the  use  of  search  engines  and  educa@onal  

games.  

Seniors  can  shop  and  bank  from  home  even  if  they  are  restricted  by  poor  mobility  and  the  

inability  to  drive  a  car.  

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Seniors  can  have  another  chance  at  love,  with  

online  da+ng  being  the  second  most  common  place  to  meet  a  mate  

later  in  life.

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Those  over  55  are  the  fastest  growing  group  of  users  of  online  da+ng  sites.  

 

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Overall,  the  Internet  has  the  poten@al  to  decrease  the  risk  of  depression  in  the  elderly  by  greater  than  30%.

 Internet  use  drops  significantly  aHer  the  age  of  75,  indica@ng  that  there  exists  barriers  to  use.  

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Sta@s@cally,  seniors  from  lower  socio-­‐

economic  backgrounds  with  lower  educa+on  levels  are  the  least  likely  to  use  the  

Internet.  

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Seniors  are  oHen  skep@cal  of  providing  personal  informa+on  online,  as  they  are  a  common  target  for  iden+ty  the?  and  scams.  

 

Physical  and  cogni+ve  disabili+es,  such  as  loss  of  sight  and  hearing,  prevent  some  older  adults  from  learning  

computer  skills.

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So  how  do  we  break  down  the  barriers?  

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 There  are  classes  available  at  community  centres  and  public  libraries  to  increase  digital  

literacy,  specifically  for  seniors.  

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 Children  and  grandchildren,  as  well  as  student  volunteers,  can  provide  in-­‐home  educa@on…  

But  be  pa+ent  with  them!  

We  must  make  it  easier  for  our  seniors  to  enrich  their  lives  by  joining  the  technological  

+des  of  change  to  become…  

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http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/11-008-x/2009002/article/10910-eng.htm   http://www.sainetz.at/dokumente/Older_adults_and_internet_use_2012.pdf   http://www.pewinternet.org/2014/04/03/older-adults-and-technology-use/   http://scholar.google.ca/scholar_url?hl=en&q=http://www.researchgate.net/publication/5431128_Internet_use_and_loneliness_in_older_adults/file/3deec515bc17554b06.pdf&sa=X&scisig=AAGBfm0zyUwHNt9Zo0M0zX-HbYymVr5mNQ&oi=scholarr&ei=ZEZ6U9-XKYqXyATrv4LoCA&ved=0CCcQgAMoADAA   http://c24izzah.wikispaces.com/file/view/Computer,+Internet,+and+E-mail+Use+Among+Older+Adults+Benefits+and.pdf   http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/04/22/seniors-internet-fights-depression/8009059/   http://www.seniorlivingmag.com/articles/2014/03/rising-trend-in-online-dating-for-seniors

SOURCES

All images contained in this presentation are licensed under the Public Domain CC0 and are sourced from Pixabay

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