“More and more grandparents are embracing social media and video-calling applications to be present for special family milestones, such as a grandchild’s first steps or distant relative’s birthday.” Nan Bosler – Australian Seniors Computer Clubs Association.
If you are reading Frank and Earnest right now, you are obviously a user of the internet. If you are also over the age of, say, 65, you are part of the fastest growing group of technology users in Australia, according to a recent survey commissioned by nbn (lower case letters correct here!), the company building Australia’s national broadband network.
The survey identifies a new wave of what they are calling, ‘GranTechies’ – grandparents who are embracing fast broadband and smart devices to form deeper connections with their family and loved ones.
The report says that the majority of Australian grandparents surveyed, use the internet to connect with their children (76 per cent), grandchildren (59 per cent) and other family members (72 per cent).
While email is still the most widely used method of communication for the ‘grandparents’ surveyed (90 per cent said they used email), they are increasingly also using high-bandwidth video-calling applications such as FaceTime or Skype to stay in touch with grandchildren (35 per cent), while more than half are using Facebook (61 per cent) .
From a frequency perspective, 84 per cent of the grandparents using the internet to communicate with their family, are doing so on a weekly basis.
Read more here.
Read more here.
