Does a rise in ‘Silver Surfers’ mean people are still keen to learn?

We're always learning, and nothing is better proof of this then adoption of technology, which explains why some of the older generation are just as keen as youngsters to get online.

To someone who is frequently asked by 6 year olds if they can’t work out the camera on their mobile phone, the Internet must seem like a daunting proposition right? Well, not so it would seem. According to an article in the Metro (dated November 17th 2011), the Office for National Statistics have stated that the largest fall of adults who’ve never gone online is the over 75s. Recently we’ve seen a number of campaigns around the country to help the spread of broadband to rural areas,

and BBC breakfast even ran an article on a gent in his hundreds helping his neighbours discover the joy of Twitter during Get Online Week . So what is it that has led to the fastest uptake of technology known to man? Quite simply, our desire to communicate is often at the source of any new development, but in the case of computers, the desire to learn also plays a strong part. After all, anybody with a telephone line can pick it up and have a conversation, but the Internet brings together people from all over the world and delivers information that previously would have required a house sized encyclopaedia, all to a screen that quite literally is no thicker than a picture frame. Grandparents half the world away from new-born family members can watch them grow up from the comfort of an armchair, and while everyone I know who has retired will scoff at the idea of having any spare time (my dad does more around town now than he ever did in his youth), it's the desire to continue learning that never leaves us. Want to keep up with your 6 year olds fascination with Moshi Monsters? There’s a helpful parent page . Forgotten how to get the best bloom from your previously neglected rose bush? A quick trip to a gardening website will help that; and of course for anyone thirsting for a bit of brain exercise, an e-learning distance course can give you everything you need.

It doesn’t just stop at the Internet. Nintendo saw fit to realise an XL size of its popular DSi handheld system as demand grew for older users who wanted clearer visuals and something easier to hold. It’s no wonder we’re seeing usage of the Internet grow at an alarming rate as computers become cheaper and more accessible than ever.

So the next time you see a mature user looking confused at a phone or computer in PC world, don’t patronise them and think they’re out of place, they're probably just be? working out if there's enough RAM to run their new World of Warcraft account while listening to Spotify!

28 November 2011