Seniors and information technology: lessons from the field

The worldwide elderly population continues to grow, in terms of raw numbers as well as their use of computers and the internet. These facts notwithstanding, it appears that vendors of information technology products, both hardware and software, have largely ignored seniors. Research has shown that these ‘silver surfers’ are one of that fastest-growing user groups online and, furthermore, have more disposable income than any other segment of modern society. This paper investigates elderly computer and internet usage by incorporating the results of three separate research streams that have reported on this topic. Implications for both practice and research are presented.