Online surfing ´popular´ among retirees

Retired people in the UK are increasingly utilising new technology to surf the internet, something that should be encouraged and made easier for all older people.

David Evans, government relations manager at the British Computer Society, said that it is important that people of all ages have access to the web.

"Surfing the web has become a popular activity among the retired population, and there are many finding that technology can be put to good use," he said.

"It´s very important that people of all ages have the opportunity and support in moving online, should they choose to do so."

While it is vital that a ´digital divide´ is minimised, older web users are also becoming a more important audience for search marketers to focus on.

According to figures from Ofcom, so-called silver surfers spend an average of 42 hours a month online. Justin Pearse of New Age Media magazine said recently that the term ´silver surfer´ is outdated because "the use of the web is so major now".