Internet Access Households and Individuals – General Information and updates

The lastest research carried out between January and April 2010 covers tables of statistics covering: When adults last used the Internet (‘Adults’ being those over 16 years of age), Households with Internet access by county and region, When adults last used the Internet, by sex and age group, 2008 to 2010 and many many more.

Internet Access Households and Individuals 2010 – Report (PDF)

The tables  covers not only differences by gender and age but also shows the changes over the last 3 years.

It also highlights the activities which those actively using the internet enjoy which are split into age groups and gender.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-10663353

You may have heard the story of the Indian slum children who taught themselves how to use computers when someone embedded a computer in his Delhi office wall for them. It proved so successful that all around the world the same experiment was repeated and each time, children taught themselves complex tasks easily – with little supervision.

But, and here is an even more interesting fact, they did even better when a ‘granny figure’ stood behind them offering encouragement – not teaching them, but just positively encouraging them and engaging with what they are doing.

So an encouraging and positive older person standing behind children who were working out how to do something themselves made them achieve more. Does that sound familiar? It is a pretty good description of good parenting and particularly in parent engagement in education.

The granny figure was not a specialist teacher, or a computer expert but an adult whose job was just to stand and encourage young children in what they were learning – just like a parent or any involved family member would. The man who came up with the original idea for the ‘computer in the wall’ in Delhi is Professor Sugata Mitra and he has taken the concept even further now and added to it with the concept of the ‘Granny Cloud’.

Professor Mitra is proposing an idea for schools called SOLE or Self Organised Learning Environments. These learning environments consist of a computer with a bench big enough to let four children sit around the screen. “It doesn’t work if you give them each a computer individually,” he is quoted as saying.

Professor Mita is now professor of educational technology at Newcastle University (UK) and has also been a speaker on the TED stage

The children are then backed up by a “granny cloud” – 200 volunteer grandmothers who can be called upon to video chat with the children and provide encouragement. He has tested the spaces successfully in the UK and Italy, and now believes they should be tested more widely. Infact, during an earlier stage of his experiments, Indian children actually asked to be read fairy tales by UK grandmothers via Skype! Professor Mitra, who now lectures at the University of Newcastle in the United Kingdom, told the TED Global (Technology, Entertainment and Design) conference in Oxford in the UK:”I think we have stumbled across a self-organising system with learning as an emergent behaviour.”

And all of those grannies are clearly helping too. Long term research in the UK has proved that the existence of one older person in a child’s life who has a passion for the child and wants them to do well in their education is enough to ensure they make the most of their schooling, regardless of the quality of their school or their economic circumstances.

“The incremental cost to maintain the BBC iPlayer is approximately £4 million per annum and includes transferring programmes into web formats, providing metadata about the programmes, as well as editorial oversight, support costs etc.”

The BBC’s technology chief Erik Huggers recently expressed concern that some viewers are getting ‘a free ride’ by watching its shows on the internet rather than on television.

There are more than 750,000 people in the UK affected by dementia with numbers set to rise to 1 million by 2025. More than half of these have Alzheimers disease.

But computers, the internet and learning about digital technology is one way you can keep your brain stimulated and can fight dementia in a few different ways.

Research

A computer training company is releasing the results of a ‘Silver Surfer Survey’  which shows that using a computer can make the older generation feel significantly younger. Tutors 4 Computers recently conducted a survey of its older customers with results showing how surfing the internet can rejuvenate the elderly, putting a spring in their step and giving them a new lease of life.

“a full 80% believed that using a computer had made them feel younger” Ian Mabb

This study builds on information already known about the benefits of the internet highlighted in this article BBC News Article (14 October 2008) Internet use is good for the brain from a University of California Los Angeles team found searching the web stimulated centres in the brain that controlled decision-making and complex reasoning. The researchers say this might even help to counteract the age-related physiological changes that cause the brain to slow down.

Rebecca Wood, chief executive of the Alzheimer’s Research Trust, said:

“These fascinating findings add to previous research suggesting that middle-aged and older people can reduce their risk of dementia by taking part in regular mentally stimulating activities”

Connecting Carers

Talking Point is an online support and discussion forum, for anyone affected by dementia. The Alzheimers Sociaty have made this great video Connie on Talking Point about how life changed for Connie in so many many ways when she bacame a carer for her partner  “because your world grows smaller”. This is a similar experience that was recorded in the video about Carers made for Silver Surfers Day 2010 about the Internet being a Window to the World for Carers.

So a computer can be a lifeline for those who look after loved ones with dementia and also can help to fight the affects on the brain of aging – so keep challenging your brain with new things to learn and new experiences.

‘When it first was introduced it was very alien and very niche, directed at younger people.

‘Now it is part of everyday life. There are new sites such as those set up by Saga, or clothing sites for older women which are targeting this new audience.

‘Travel companies such as those who organise coach and cruise holidays have also created an online presence which appeals to older consumers.’

The British internet audience increased from 36.9million in May 2009 to 38.8million in May this year.

Internet surfers over 50 accounted for 53 per cent of the overall increase.

Men in this age bracket were responsible for 38 per cent of this growth — 722,000 of the increase.

According to the figures, more than 12million people over 50 now regularly use the internet.

However there remain concerns that while the internet is achieving a more mature audience, the most elderly are still being left behind.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1290755/One-internet-users-50.html#ixzz0sK4XTSLv

From ‘Computers for the Terrified’ at Newlyn Cornwall to the Silver City Surfers from Aberdeen there were 1,600 events on or around the 21st May, with an estimated 32,000 participants. The campaign to give over 55′s a day which is all about what they are interested in learning about the digital world has had its greatest year yet.

Thanks go to Sir Terry Wogan and Dame Vera Lynn who were our ambassadors this year and helped up get an unprecedented amount of media coverage which we are currently totalling. The BBC support meant that not only did we get coverage of Silver Surfers Day on a large number of their regional stations and The Jeremy Vine Show but also were centre stage on the BBC 1 Breakfast Sofa and an item on Working Lunch.

We saw more primary and secondary schools taking part in the growing ranks of ‘Schools for Silver Surfers’ initiative. Simpson Primary School in Bathgate West Lothan is a new school taking part this year who have organised a day for their community with the pupils from the age of 7 passing on the skills. A fun filled day included 11 zones which visitors could enjoy and which the whole school all had a hand in running. Ms Black who first heard about Silver Surfers Day and wanted to get involved this year said:

“Primary 7′s are very talented at ICT and passing it on. It was an opportunity for them to show off their knowledge in different subjects which all have an aspect of using the internet. The whole school is looking forwards to having a fun filled day of teaching and learning”.

More Housing Associations have also joined the ranks with Chevin Housing Group on of those new editions. They thought it would be nice to see what the take up would be for running an internet taster session for older people.  They set up 3 computers for residents to have a go at accessing the web with I.T and other members of staff available to help out and guide people.  Joe Howey, ICT Assistant at Chevin said

“Residents were queuing up at the beginning of the session; it was great to see so many people interested.  Some residents had more experience on computers than others but nearly everyone who had a go commented it wasn’t as hard as they had first imagined.  The taster session definitely gave some people the confidence to not be afraid to have a go on their own.  It also highlighted the fact that there is another outlet for them if they are not able to get out and about, knowing that they can access shopping and banking on-line”.

We also had fantastic support again from libraries and UK Online centres which have a great track record of supporting the day. These places and community centres up and down the country do an amazing job of helping their communities throughout the year.

The team at Digital Unite would like to thank all of those event holders and volunteers who took part without which Silver Surfers Day would not be possible. So whether you are a veteran event holder since 2002 or just had your first taste of how running an event can benefit your organisation and community – we hope that you will join us again next year to break another record!

You can read more about the experiences of volunteers at the libraries who give their time in this article on Library ‘computer buddies’ share their experiences.

Next year – when Digital Unite celebrates the 10th anniversary of Silver Surfers’ Day – many more Events will be accessible to even more older people so if you didn’t get involved this year you can start thinking and planning how you can celebrate with us in 2011 contact us or call 0800 822 3951.

The BBC has highlighted findings by UK Online Measurement company (UKOM) that Britons spend more than ‘one day a month online’ with social networks or blogs, which accounts for nearly a quarter of users’ time online. Which is great news for blogs like ours!

Ofcom’s latest media literacy report which is updated every six months gives insight into how we use the Internet in the UK and differences between regions. A key finding in this report was about UK internet users becoming more security conscious.

The report also found that the majority of people in the UK agree that the internet makes life easier and that the internet helps save time, and most disagree that the internet is difficult to use.

Terry says: “Everything is just a simple click away now – we can source information, communicate instantly and shop without ever having to leave the comfort of our homes. It’s so easy that any old Janet and John could get online”

Terry also promoted Silver Surfers’ Day more locally on 11 BBC Regional Radio Stations and will be joining the Jeremy Vine show today (13th May) at 12pm to talk about Silver Surfers’ Day – so tune in now from on  88-91FM or online on the BBC Radio 2 website:  The Jeremy Vine Show where he takes pride of place.

If you have organised an event but not yet registered it please do so now at http://www.silversurfersday.net

Digital Unite is offering a GBP1000 prize for the ‘best’ Silver Surfers’ Day event registered on the DU database.  That’s not the biggest event.  Or the one with most participants.  We will be looking for one event that ‘hits the spot’ when it comes to introducing older people to the benefits of digital technology.

If you need help with your event registration, please phone 0800 077 6144 and speak to Rick Crust, Silver Surfers’ Day Events Manager, or email rick.crust@digitalunite.net

I heard this great story on the news this morning.  Nancy Makin is an American grandmother who used to weigh 50 stone.  For more than 12 years, she was a virtual recluse, too big to even stand up for more than a few minutes.

Everything started to change when her sister gave her a computer.  She ignored it for a few weeks but gradually started to explore and through the internet, she started to rediscover her self-worth by chatting with people who couldn’t judge her by her appearance alone.  This in turn inspired her to lose weight and over 3 years, she lost 35 stone!

Now, thanks to the wonders of technology, her life has been completely transformed. She has written a book and has her own website here.

Would you like to run an event, come along to an event near you, or volunteer to help? Well the Silver Surfers Day 2010 website is the place to come.

Remember if you are running an event and have not yet registered, get signed up now. You’ll be on our map and details given out on the freephone number 0800 100 900 being promoted in the media and online. New for this years event event holders could be in with a chance to win the GBP1000 prize (further details on the Silver Surfers Day website).