Internet training would cut pensioner loneliness, says think tank

Loneliness among the over-65s could be tackled by training more older people to use the internet, a report by a centre-right think tank has suggested.

Policy Exchange has called for every person in the UK to be taught basic digital skills, including how to send emails and use social networking sites.

I don’t know why there is this philosophy that ‘if you get people online it will suddenly solve all their problems’ is coming from but it is majorly flawed and puts the emphasis in completely the wrong place.

I would love to hear someone from this think tank explain to me how teaching someone over the age of 65 how to send an email or getting them on Facebook does anything to lessen their isolation, because to me that wouldn’t solve anything as most elderly people don’t have email or Facebook for a reason, they don’t want it.

Forcing them on there would probably only add to the problem, instead why not focus on fact that in families where more senior relatives feel lonely put the onus on the rest of the family to do more to rectify the situation, don’t put the onus on the over-65s and tell them the reason you’re lonely is because you’re not on Facebook, so get an account even though you don’t want one and won’t use it.