Much has been written about the "graying of America", the growing percentage of our population living well into retirement years. Not surprisingly, the emergence of the Internet offers unique opportunities for this expanding segment of society.

Senior Citizens face a series of challenges as their life style changes - their mobility tends to be reduced; often their social and family contacts are less frequent and more difficult; they have unaccustomed time on their hands and, if they are lucky, have a collection of activities they "never got around to"; there are increased problems with traveling, especially international; many still have the energy to explore a new business, even a second career, and, of course, there is always the issues that come with living on a fixed income.

Probably the most obvious opportunity is that for "virtual" travel. Sitting at your terminal, you can explore every corner of the world - all those places you always wanted to see. Web "surfing" can bring you the sights and sounds of every locale you've ever dreamed of - and many more. The L.A. Times recently featured a site where you can visit such unexpected sites as Stonehenge and Easter Island, among others.

If you are one who visits the museums and art galleries first, ever more of the major galleries (and innumerable minor ones) are offering tours of their exhibits on the web, along with enlightening commentary.

If you have decided to pursue a new hobby that has intrigued you, (suppose you have always wanted to master flower arranging), there are two directions you can explore. First of all, you can search out web sites which deal with the desired topic - offering information, education and products relating to your new desires. But also, you can join a "News Group" of kindred spirits around the world, who share your passion. There are thousands of special interest groups which are open (and free) to join. Once you have joined, any e-mail you send to the "group" is seen by all other members, any of whom may choose to reply - either to the group as a whole, or to you individually. So if you want to know if anyone has ever successfully used geraniums in an arrangement, just ask and someone will have an answer for you.

Of course, e-mail is a fast, easy and effective way to stay in touch with far-flung relatives and friends - it even makes it simple and attractive to create a reply immediately.

Recently some families have engaged in a novel way to stay in touch - with a family web page! Wherever they are, individual family members augment the page with their own happenings, pictures of the dog, the sound of the kid's first words, etc. Any of the rest of the family can browse the page at any time and get caught up. There are even families who take a digital camera on vacation and upload their choice travel pictures to the family page while still on the road.

In terms of seeking opportunities and information on starting a business or seeking a new career, the web is without equal as a source of information on these myriad topics. In fact, in the face of layoffs, downsizing, etc., these topics are among the most heavily represented and actively pursued on the net.

For those of us who are now seeing the doctor more often than we would like, and who aren't quite sure what he/she is talking about, the web provides unlimited information on every malady known to man, some very technical but much in civilian terms.

Finally, for those seniors willing to invest the relatively small bucks in setting up the required hardware and the time to learn how to use some of it, there are the rewards of sharing an interest with your grandchildren! Take heart - the technology is not as formidable as it may seem, and topics in common, across the generation gap, are within your grasp. A minor word of caution - if the technology is totally new to you, as always, an experienced guide is well worth what he/she costs. For reprints of my prior articles, see our web site.

(photo credit: Greg Wenger)
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