New EU report on (ICT) Use and the Elderly: ICT can benefit seniors; though interest is high, usage is low.

The elderly can benefit considerably from new developments in ICT.  Given the aging demographic and the increasing demands on healthcare systems, ICT holds considerable promise for monitoring, educating, and implementing preventative measures to promote health. Interest in ICT is high, yet usage continues to be low among seniors.  There are many reasons for this including cost, education  or training required for use, lack o f awareness of the therapeutic or other properties of technology, and inadequate design of a technology in addressing special needs like visual and functional abilities.  If you are interested in this topic, the final report of a major study funded by the European Commission Information Society and Media:  Senior Watch 2: Assessment of the Senior Market for ICT Progress and Developments is worth a look.

Social Networking, Social Neuroscience, Aging

A June 2, 2009 article, Online, A Reason To Keep On Going, in the New York Times reported that among older people who went online last year, the number visiting social networks like Facebook and MySpace grew almost twice as fast as the overall rate of Internet use among that group, according to the media measurement company comScore.Researchers who focus on aging are now studying whether the networks can provide some of the benefits of a group of friends, while being much easier to assemble and maintain. About one-third of people 75 and older live alone. Per the article, in response to the growing number of older Americans, the National Institute on Aging is awarding at least $10 million in grants for researchers who examine social neuroscience and its effect on aging.