North-south divide among silver surfers

There is a “concerning” north-south divide in the number of over-65s in England, so-called silver surfers, who use the internet, a charity has said.

Age UK said Surrey's older people were more than twice as likely to have web access as those in Tyne and Wear.

The charity also said poorer people, those living alone and those in relatively poor health were least likely to access internet services.

So older people who are poor or are in poor health are least likely to use the internet, really I’d never have guessed that I’d have thought getting high-speed fibre optic broadband would be top on their list of priorities.

Jokes aside that is one of the main reasons that older people in the north are less likely to be online, the initial cost of a computer and the connection and runnings costs on top of that. 

Or maybe the older people of the north simply don’t want a computer or don’t need to have an internet connection has anyone ever thought of that.

I don’t see why there seems to be this national obsession that everyone everywhere should be connected seemingly at all times, and god forbid if anyone isn’t online.

I’ve grown up with the internet and use it pretty much every day, but I completely understand that there are people out there who can’t see the point of it or who can’t be bothered to sift through the vast amounts of crap, this blog included, to get the information they want and prefer to use other means to do so.      

Why should those people have it rammed down their throats that they need to be online, if they don’t want to that’s their choice.

Shouldn’t the focus be more on ending the divide in wealth among older people in different parts of Britain rather than telling them don’t worry about that all you need is Facebook.