Broadband Adoption and Older Adults: Opportunities and Challenges

Debra BerlynExecutive Director

The Project to Get Older Adults onLine (GOAL)

• Serve to help promote the adoption of broadband services by older adults.

• Raise the profile of the challenges confronting the use and adoption of technology within the older community.

• Create a new voice representing these issues

Project GOAL

Launch 2010

Advisory Committee

Sponsors

Website www.projectgoal.org

Informal Coalition of Aging Organizations

July Summit

Opportunities Broadband Offers for Older Adults

The Older Adult Community and Internet Usage – the value

• Telehealth and mobile health monitoring

• Staying connected to family and friends

• Searching for information

• Entertainment

•Video Chats and exchanging photos

More value…

E-commerce

E-government

Telework

Social Media (networking, etc.)

The Social Network and Older Adults?

“Young adults continue to be the heaviest users of social media,

but their growth pales in comparison with recent gains made by

older users,” explains Mary Madden, Senior Research Specialist

and author of the report. “Email is still the primary way that older

users maintain contact with friends, families and colleagues, but

many older users now rely on social network platforms to help

manage their daily communications.”

Broadband Challenges for Older Adults:

• Demonstrating the value

• The technology “gap” – training programs, overcoming the “fear factor”

• Online safety and privacy awareness

What’s Next for Project GOAL?

Thank you.

For more information please visitwww.theprojectgoal.org