I'm learning every day" says Mary Kleindienst, a retired grandmother and Internet surfer. "I probably spend 2 to 3 hours per day online and would stay on longer if more of my relatives were connected." Every day Mary sends e-mail to her son, John, and granddaughter, Sarah. She even uses a program called ICQ to chat live with three of her nephews.

Mary purchased her new computer in March and immediately went on the Internet. She set up The White House (http://www.whitehouse.gov) as her home page and visits the PBS Online (http://www.pbs.org) Web site for daily updates.

"I believe it keeps the mind active," says Mary. "If tutored properly, seniors like me shouldn't be afraid of computers. Usually when someone retires, they just hang around, watch TV or fade away. I feel better about myself and the time I spend online because I'm still walking 2 miles per day, working at the Honeoye Public Library, spending time with my husband Kurt, and staying in touch with my non-wired friends. The best part is that I'm spending less time watching television, and spending more time learning."

Mary's not alone. According to a study conducted by SeniorNet, in 1996, 30 percent of adults in the United States age 55 to 74 owned computers, compared to only 21 percent in 1994. Of those users, 52 percent called their PC "extremely useful." Over one million subscribers to America Online are age 55 or older. That amounts to 13 percent of the service's 8 million plus subscribers.

The growing list of online and Web-based communities focused on seniors suggests that many seniors are eager to jump onto the Internet but prefer the comfort of associating with their peers. Invisible to mainstream media and often written off by the rest of society, these seniors are logging on to create one of the most powerful groups in this ostensibly youth-oriented medium. Advertisers and venture capitalists, seeing green where others see gray, are aggressively seeking out new sites in which to invest.

For an example of this, take a look at SeniorNet (http://www.seniornet.org). For over ten years, SeniorNet has been a place for older adults to chat about their grandchildren, have fun, tell jokes, argue, fall in love, and follow political issues such as Medicare. They have also built a place that provides peer support, a safe haven for those the rest of American society often treat as disposable waste. SeniorNet members get married, go on picnics, and continually check in on one another.

Before older adults take the plunge, however, they usually have to deal with the fear factor. Although older adults don't mind spending money for a cruise or a car, they don't want to make a bad investment. Many seniors believe computers are either a tool or toy for the young and fear that they will not be able to understand the computer's graphical metaphor. Once they learn they can not easily break it, the computer becomes a vehicle for them to communicate with their family and friends.

Once seniors get online, they have the potential of becoming enormous resources (as teachers of the young) and great leaders, mainly because of their life experience. Ultimately, they can become what's missing in the national information infrastructure. We're wiring the schools, but we do not have enough volunteers to help students use the technology. Senior Surfers can be that untapped resource.

This group of active older adults who embrace the technology are called Third Agers. This period of active adulthood starts in the early 50s and is characterized by a sense of accomplishment and fresh beginnings for individuals who champion a new view of what it means to be older.

In the First Age, we develop into a person. In the Second Age, we pursue our career and raise a family. Now, in the Third Age of life, is the time to come into our own. It is a time for creativity, continued learning, and exploration. Seniors want to prove they have plenty of energy, plenty of resources and a fully-developed sense of what to do with themselves. It is a time to enjoy new relationships, appreciate family and friends, and explore the spiritual side of life. It is also a time for giving back to society and for sharing the wisdom of their experiences. Third Agers have been described as self-reliant, experienced, involved, interesting, savvy, aware of their world, experience seeking, socially aware, and curious.

Mary is a perfect example of a Third Ager. Whether she is visiting Martha Stewart Living (http://www.marthastewart.com), reading about the death of Princess Diana (http://www.entertainmentweekly.com/970919/features/diana_funeral), or checking the day's top headlines (http://cnn.com), she continues to grow as a student, a teacher, and a productive member of the community. Lets encourage all Third Agers to become Senior Surfers.

Some Senior-oriented Links:

SeniorNet (http://www.seniornet.org)
SeniorNet is a national non-profit organization whose mission is to build a community of computer-savvy seniors. SeniorNet provides adults 55 and older with information and instruction about computer and Internet technologies so that they can use their new skills to benefit themselves as well as society. SeniorNet is an independent organization which has helped start over 100 SeniorNet Learning Centers around the United States where computer classes specifically designed for older adults are offered. The Web site has message boards and chat areas for seniors to enjoy the company of thousands of other older adults. SeniorNet also publishes computer-related materials for members, national conferences, and conducts research on the uses of technology by older adults.

Senior.com (http://www.senior.com)
Senior.com was founded by Tom Poole after a frustrating experience trying to find a "senior living facility" for his grandmother. He moved from Alaska to Seattle, Washington in 1988, and learned that information resources for senior living facilities were "archaic and antiquated." In addition to directories and profiles of living facilities, Senior.com offers health, travel, legal and financial news and other information tailored to seniors' needs. Senior.com also provides dozens of links to other senior resources on the Web.

ThirdAge (http://www.thirdage.com)
ThirdAge.com is a vibrant Web-based community filled with ideas and interactions generated and hosted by Third Agers. Third Agers can voice their opinions, recount experiences, and share advice with new friends through interactive technologies such as chat rooms and discussion boards. It presents the best the Web has to offer for active older adults. ThirdAge offers rich advice and helpful information on topics critical to its community, such as retirement housing and estate management, which are typically ignored or glossed over by traditional media.

If you have your own personal Web site or know of any sites that would be of interest to other Lake Affect readers, send e-mail to andrew@dimino.com. I look forward to visiting your world and including them in my next column.