Senior Technology | June 14, 2021
Websites for Seniors | The Internet is no longer the domain of the young. Canada’s seniors are turning to computer use more than ever before for everything from keeping in touch with family to making new friends to keeping up with the latest news about senior health, travel, events, and more.
There is much for older adults to reap and sow in the cyber world. There are places to learn, have fun, share, and be ready to explore right from the comfort of home. If the senior in your life is not among the 53% of seniors 65 and over who go online, here are some interesting sites geared especially to the senior demographic that you can introduce to help him or her become one of the new Silver Surfers.
This helpful site gives the reader tips on how to make the computer experience more comfortable as they age. It deals with screen resolution, text size, colour, speech recognition, and shortcuts among other things. The easy-to-use format guides seniors to maximize, customize and personalize their computers.
A simple click brings them to a step-by-step instruction page. http://www.microsoft.com/enable/aging/tips.aspx
Grandma Betty – Over 1000 information sources for seniors and baby boomers. There are links for everything from grandparenting to golf to consumer products to investing. You can also find blogs, humour, stories, crafts, and coupons. You will want to take your time here and check it out. http://grandmabetty.com/index.php
Grandparents’ Web – Dedicated to the “unconditional love of grandparents everywhere.” A site dedicated to articles, links, newsletters, and an advice column. This site covers information from grandparenting to gardening to online learning. There are many quotes and much general banter for those who take their role as a grandparent actively and seriously. http://www.cyberparent.com/gran/
Eons – Eons is a social network site geared toward baby boomers. The website offers an online community, and a variety of groups to join. Community members are encouraged to start their groups. Eons have games and puzzles, which they call “brain games.” It’s a friendly place that includes conversations about books and movies, computers and technology, blogs, and videos. There is even a singles category for those who are looking to meet other single seniors. https://www.facebook.com/EonsInc
Senior Law – This website was created by attorneys and includes a wealth of information for all seniors. Taxes, wills, estate planning, elder abuse, and Medicare are discussed in easy-to-understand language. Senior Law provides a page that features links to state-specific senior law offices and attorneys. It is worth bookmarking. http://www.seniorlaw.com/senior.htm
Geezer Guff – This hilarious website finds the humour in growing old. The articles and blogs are both irreverent and informative. They tackle the subjects of money, health, and politics with wry observation and sarcasm. Geezer Guff is what a senior-oriented blog should be and is well worth the visit. http://geezerguff.com/
LoveToKnow Seniors –This site covers everything for the savvy senior. Browse through hairstyles for silver hair, find senior discounts on flights, or read expert advice about estate and financial planning. Seniors can find health advice or learn new crafts, even check out expert interviews. LoveToKnow Seniors is a positive website that welcomes original poems about retirement and senior living. http://seniors.lovetoknow.com/MainPage
SeniorCupid – Senior Cupid is a great community for mature singles. More than a dating site, Senior Cupid offers forums, blogs, and chats for friendship and networking. Senior Cupid takes the awkwardness out of dating for seniors. It smooths the way for reaching out to people who share common interests. It’s free to post a profile and personal ad. http://www.seniorcupid.com/
50plusfun.com – The 50plusFun site is a portal to information about many kinds of fun and healthful diversions for seniors – the arts, dancing, hobbies, games, sports, etc. http://www.50plusfun.com
Festival Finder – More than 2500 music festivals in North America are covered on the Festival Finder website – everything from Bluegrass to classical. http://www.FestivalFinder.com
Bartleby.com – Plays, poetry, and novels from Aeschylus to Agatha Christie are available to all. Reference works on famous quotations and English usage, encyclopedias, and a thesaurus. http://www.Bartleby.com
Bonzer! – An online magazine “written by, for, and about wise elders.” Published in Australia with editors and writers from the U.S.A. and Canada. It’s a great place for creative seniors and welcomes submissions of stories, articles, poetry, photographs and so much more. This friendly e-zine features a theme of the month for inspiration and encourages comments and interaction. http://www.bonzer.org.au/
Elder Treks – For the adventurous older adult, Elder Trek makes dreams come true. They specialize in exotic destination travel. Some of these include wildlife safaris in Africa, hiking trips in the Rockies and other mountain ranges, expeditions to the Arctic, and cultural trips to Asia. The website itself is easy to use and exciting making you want to pack your bags right away. Elder Treks offers several different activity levels to facilitate your travel experience. http://www.eldertreks.com/index.php
Golf.com — Brush up on your golf. The website is the most popular on the internet for golf news plus helps in finding local golf courses, buying equipment, obtaining instruction, and more. http://www.Golf.com
American Contract Bridge League — Play bridge online. Or learn about Bridge and play against other real players online via the website at http://www.American Contract Bridge League.
ChessClub.com — If chess is your senior’s game, there are always thousands of players from around the world – ranging in ability from beginners to the world’s strongest Grandmasters at http://www.ChessClub.com.
Listen to radio stations and read newspapers from around the world — Find newspapers at http://www.Newslink.org and radio stations at http://www.Radio-Locator.com. OTRCAT.com offers vast resources about nostalgic radio shows.
CBS Radio Mystery Theater — Enjoy all 1,399 episodes of old-time radio free! Stream or download old radio shows in MP3 format or copy radio shows to CD. Great for big fans of Radio Mystery Theater. Offers shows from the golden age of radio for free. http://www.CBS Radio Mystery Theater.com.
Vintage Television and Radio Shows — For classic TV shows, cartoons and movie shorts, visit LikeTelevision.com. For classic radio go to Old-Time.com (high-speed Internet connection recommended)
Genealogy. Com — Learn about your senior’s family tree. Find a huge database and many people with similar interests willing to help you. http://www.Genealogy.com.
There are many online communities for people over age 55. Each will have its flavour and pace. Some online communities thrive on support; some on a specific topic or hobby like exercise, boating, golf, and other activities; and still others on humour. To find a community that best suits you, try out a variety of sites. The following are some great places to start.
SeniorNet.com — SeniorNet RoundTable Discussions covers all kinds of topics in their chats and best of all has great online tips and tricks — perfect for anyone new to a senior citizen online community.
Yahoo Groups — Another helpful resource for finding like-minded seniors is Yahoo Groups. They have plenty of senior groups available to join, from specific interests such as bird watching to groups by region, like Florida seniors. The only downside to Yahoo is that you have to read through the group’s descriptions, sometimes many, before finding your perfect group. It can be worth your time if you find the perfect place, though.
The Third Age — The Third Age is an all-inclusive site for seniors. You can join a senior citizen online community; and learn about health, news, relationships, money, beauty, fun, senior activities, and more. Plus, take fun quizzes and classes. Everything is geared towards seniors and it’s a great site to explore.
Seniorsite.com — Another site like ThirdAge is Seniorsite.com. Take a look at both.
Seniors who didn’t grow up using computers might be scared off by stories of online fraud, scams and identity theft. Internet safety doesn’t have to be a big deal for seniors. So here’s one more site that can help with safety.
Dummies.com – Look for the cheat sheet, ‘Using the Internet Safely for Seniors For Dummies.’
Computers are improving daily life for seniors all over the world. Why not help your senior jump online today and give it a try?
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References
Majority of U. S. Seniors Now Going Online: poll,” Pew Research, June 2012, www.pewinternet.org.
“Browsing the Internet is fun!” by Marcellina Hardy, MSED, BCC, Seniors.lovetoknow.com
“Older Adults Going Social in Increasing Numbers”, by reporter Chris Jansing, NBC News, New York, April 12, 2013, www.NBCnightlynews.com
“Top Senior Websites By Categories”, Seniors, Boomers, Adults Over 50 Websites Directory
“Using the Internet Safely for Seniors For Dummies”, by Nancy C. Muir and Linda Criddle, http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content
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