Elders Too Are Keen To Chat On Internet On Par With Youngsters

According to a recent online survey, aging in no way deter the elders from chatting or surfing the Internet and said that they too are keen in using the net on par with the youngsters.

The survey conducted by the Internet and Mobile Association of India with Crosstab Marketing Services has revealed that senior netizens are a fast-growing group in India and expected to grow three-fold to three million by 2008.

These seniors - who number a little over a million today - are as enthusiastic as young users in major activities that define online life, says the report.

"The number one activity of senior netizens on the internet is staying in touch through email (99 percent) and surfing (70 percent)," says the report.

"But close behind is searching for information and news (62 percent), followed by online banking (38 percent), stock trading (26 percent)and online shopping (21 percent)," adds this report.

Interestingly, many senior netizens are reported to be using instant messaging, which was once the domain of the young and diehard Internet users.

The report says, "Senior netizens are becoming more comfortable adapting to the Internet, whether retired, salaried or entrepreneurs. These are successful senior Indians enjoying living life to the full and have adopted and adapted to technology and predominantly use it for emotional reasons."

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The national capital has the highest number of senior netizens with 24 percent, followed by Maharashtra (23 percent), Tamil Nadu (17 percent) and Karnataka (10 percent).

Around 12 percent of the senior netizens have started participating in online auctions and five percent of them also use it for donating online. They use the net for at least one-and-a-half hours a day - 20 percent for over three hours.

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The senior netizens are the most savvy and affluent among Internet users and log in from multiple access points, the report adds.

--Edited IANS