The ageing internet: digital choice and exclusion among the elderly

We are all familiar with the headlines proclaiming the rise of the ‘silver surfer’; or now even the ‘silver tweeter’. Alongside this, services are increasingly disseminating information that is accessed purely online. So, what about the digitally‐disenfranchised who, for whatever reason, do not want to or are simply not able to use or access the internet? In this next article, Ellen J Helsper explores the profile of these groups and examines what service providers and commissioners should bear in mind.