The Pew Internet and American Life Project has conducted a couple of studies on seniors and computers and the internet. In 2004 they published a study titled Older American and the Internet. In this particular case, older was defined as 65 and above. The experiences that are the basis for my thoughts in this column are with a distinctly more elderly population - people at least in their late seventies, and often above that. Still, a good deal can be learned from reviewing that report. Back in 2004 22% of the over 65 population was reported as being online. These users were quite enthusiastic about the internet, with two thirds of them trying to research health related topic, and also seeking out product information. Almost a full half had purchased something via the internet. The study suggested that this senior population, and its relationship to the internet, was about to change, simply because baby boomers, whose online activities were quite similar to their children, were reaching the over 65 age group.

Two years later, an additional Pew report Are "Wired Seniors" Sitting Ducks? was published. This report noted that although the senior population is often referred to as "the fastest growing demographic group online", this wasn't an accurate description. Instead, this "growth" was a reflection of the already noted baby-boomers getting older. The online usage noted in this report was considerably less enthusiastic than in the earlier report. A quite conservative profile emerges from this report:

The common perception of the timid older internet user is quite accurate, even for relative newcomers to the ranks of seniors. Wired seniors are less likely than internet users under the age of 65 to have tried a wide range of online activities, possibly because they are not in the market for as many types of information as younger users who might be doing schoolwork, trolling for dates, or scanning employment listings online. In addition, researchers at Fidelity Investments have identified "cautious clicking" as a behavior trait of many older internet users who may share a sense that one false move on the Web could land them in unknown or unsafe territory.