The ageing internet: digital choice and exclusion among the elderly

We are all familiar with the headlines proclaiming the rise of the ‘silver surfer’; or now even the ‘silver tweeter’. Alongside this, services are increasingly disseminating information that is accessed purely online. So, what about the digitally-disenfranchised who, for whatever reason, do not want to or are simply not able to use or access the internet? In this next article, Ellen J Helsper explores the profile of these groups and examines what service providers and commissioners should bear in mind.