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Seniors on the Web

Seniors are one of the fastest growing populations on the Web, becoming more "tech savvy" every day. Who says, you can't teach an old dog new tricks?" This is the 21st century folks, and old ain't what it used to be.

Some grandparents are emailing their grandchildren, investing, purchasing airline tickets, theater tickets and booking hotel rooms online.

But, others are not. There are many seniors in our community who are just learning about technology, just being introduced to the computer and learning how to use it. The question many of them ask is, how will it benefit them? And, where can they go for help? Well, quiet as its kept, resources are out there. Check out the non-profit organizations in your community, senior centers, schools and libraries for access to training and other resources.

If you're trying to help a grandparent, aunt or uncle, or are a senior yourself, the following sites can help seniors new to the Net.

A clearinghouse for data on senior issues like consumer protection, legislation and retirement planning can be found at www.seniors.gov. It is an easy to navigate site, supported by tax dollars, and loaded with useful information for seniors. The Seniors and Computers page has a list of computer education and training resource Web sites. Click onto SeniorTips.com for tips about how to change your computer's color display or how to make your mouse work more effectively.

Another useful Web site link in this section is Seniors Online. At this site seniors can visit the Ask George and How To departments to get answers to simple questions like how to scroll within a document, how to move within frames and how to refresh a Web page. FreeSkills, another section on this site, has more than 200 free online training courses including an Internet User Introduction.

As you start to feel comfortable on the Web, stretch out. Check out ElderNet. This site consists primarily of links to other sites that address health, housing, financial and legal issues. The site is easy to navigate and lists different subgroups within each section. For instance, under Money & Investing, you can choose Retirement Planning. Click on that title and you'll get a comprehensive list of Web sites that are clearly labeled and described.

Seniors often complain that information on the computer screen is difficult to read. A magnifying software called BigShot Magnifier enlarges all computer print to as much as 200%. The software costs around $99, but you can download a free 30-day trial version at the site.

Now, I'm told, when you're ready to become a full-fledged netizen with a community of your own, you should bookmark Senior.com. Here you can engage in activities like chatting with people who share common interests, or join an email club, which is a managed email list of people who want to join a book, genealogy club or who share other common interests. With one email you can contact everyone in that group.

Senior.Com has senior-specific entertainment, travel and health news. You might want to take a look at "Healthology" in the health section. Here you will find articles by physicians and streaming videos on a variety of senior health issues like diabetes and osteoporosis. The site even has a relationships section devoted to helping single seniors find new friendships or maybe even romance. See what did I tell you? Old is not what old used to be.