Now, she said, her family shares a mutual interest in technology. Mrs. Fisher is one of a growing number of older people using computers and the Internet. Recent surveys show that older consumers are buying more computers and spending as much or more time online as do younger users. A survey by Third Age Media found that older users spent 10.7 hours a week online, compared with 11.5 hours a week for all users. And 83 percent of older users log on to the Internet daily, the same as all users.
Furlong is a pioneer when it comes to seniors and technology.
In the 1980s she founded SeniorNet, which grew to 125 centers across the country to teach computing skills to seniors. She left to form Third Age, whose name reflects a stage of life when people have more time for themselves and for new activities and interests, and more time to share their experiences with others. Third Age's Web site offers hundreds of forums, on subjects from caregiving to quilting to sailing to jokes. The site has privacy rules and won't sell names to marketers. But once people have the virtual experience, they want more.