Research by a UK think tank called The Policy Exchange shows that about four in 10 people in the UK aged 65 and over don’t have access to the Internet at home, even though they could benefit from it.
The senior citizens are losing out, it's reported, on a means of social interaction at a time of life when contact with others is particularly important.
Policy Exchange says a significant percentage of older people are very lonely and that the World Wide Web could alleviate some of that loneliness. All it would take would be a cool one billion Euro to bring dramatic social and economic benefits. So can the elderly learn to love tech? And do they even want to?
Rosemary Sargentson could be the "silver surfer" poster child Policy Exchange has in mind when it suggests that a significant investment should be made to help pensioners learn how to get online. She's a little older than your average child though. A frail, but elegant lady, she doesn't have time to give her exact age because she's busy learning new skills - getting to, then using, and then possibly even enjoying the Internet.
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