In the kingdom of cyberspace, youth still rules, of course. But there is an invasion under way, led by the likes of Sara Trabish. This unlikely foot soldier is an 82-year-old great-grandmother who keeps her family connected with e-mail. A grandson in Maryland sends her dirty jokes. Her great-grandniece and great-grandnephew, both 13, love being on her online network and have gotten to know her better. "I feel good about building ties with a younger generation," Trabish says.
Experts differ on numbers, but most agree that people 50 and older make up the fastest-growing group online. Some, like Trabish, want to strengthen relationships with people far away. Others want to manage their investments, plan trips or get medical information. Many take classes at local senior centers or community colleges to learn the basics, then start with an easy-to-use service such as America Online. These services offer e-mail and chat rooms, where several people are online simultaneously and carry on a written conversation. Other seniors like the chat rooms offered by online sites geared to them, such as Third Age (online address: www.thirdage.com) AgeScape www.agescape.com) or SeniorNet www.seniornet.com)
"Many older people are just beginning to realize that at the point in their lives when it's harder to get out and about, they can keep in touch by e-mail," says Michael Putzel, who founded Trysail Inc. of Washington--in part to teach online skills to the 50-plus crowd. "The Internet brings them thank-you notes from grandkids that they never got from the post office."
Of course, some are still put off by the online world's confusing terminology or by equipment that is hard on arthritic hands. Others are wary of scam artists who prey on their age group. But for many seniors, the Internet has provided a sense of community that they are hungry for. It has given them a new perspective on life.
It did for Trabish, who took the plunge three years ago, pushed by her frustration with the conversation over dinner at her son's house. "I didn't know what they were talking about--icons, bytes, software, hardware, mail they got on the computer," she says. "So I asked my son, 'Do you think I could learn all this?' He said, 'Mother, you could do it.' And I said, 'O.K., go buy me a set.'" Four weeks and $2,500 later, she had her "set": an olive-green Acer computer that sits right next to her bed in her Chevy Chase, Md., home. At first it scared her. "I used to think the computer would break if I did something wrong. The first time I used it, I was a nervous wreck, and my son Paul said, 'Don't worry, Mom--it won't break.'" He made her a screen saver that says SARA, QUEEN OF COMPUTERS!!! ALMOST. She signed up for a computer class at a local senior center. Before long, Trabish had sent e-mail to her family: "I think I am going to the head of the class...So far, I am one lesson ahead of the crowd. Not bad for the oldest member of our mishpocha."