Elder bloggers dispel myths about who's online

(NECN: Ally Donnelly) – BRB, LOL, TTYL. Many of us consider this the language of the young. But more and more senior citizens are becoming just as tech savvy as the so-called kids these days. In tonight’s cover story, Ally Donnelly introduces us to elder blogger and Facebooking grandma who are dispelling myths about who’s online, in an online community. Millie Garfield’s microwave is on the fritz — and while many sons might grab their tool belt, Steve Garfield grabs his camera. 84-year-old Garfield is a blogger — the Swampscott, Massachusetts woman weaving her way onto the world wide web about 6 years ago, after she read about blogging in the newspaper. Garfield: I had never heard of it. Sounded interesting and I said, gee, sounds good. Garfield didn’t even have a computer, but with the help of her son she started her own blog. . It’s called “My Mom’s Blog – by thoroughly modern Millie.” It started with just a few tentative posts. She sent her musings out into the ether, but there was nary a reply. Garfield: I wrote on the blog — I’m 76 years old and I’d like to hear from you people and that did it. Garfield blogs about everything from Yiddish humor to the perils of potato peelers. Garfield: I blog about the movies. I might blog about book. Once in a blue moon I’ll do a recipe and that’s only when I’m stuck. Sometimes it’s text and sometimes it’s video. She gets about a hundred hits a day and a fan favorite is her “I can’t open it” series —- detailing the frustrations of product packaging. This day she blogs about comedian Larry David who endures similar trials on his show “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” Garfield: When I can’t open something…I can’t open it…so…I can’t open it, but Larry he was furious. Garfield blogs once a week — only on Sundays — but the octogenarian also tweets on twitter has a Facebook account and keeps up with her son on Flickr. Though younger users still dominate the Internet, Garfield is among a growing legion. According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, 65 percent of people aged 50 to 64 surf the web, and users 65 and older are the fastest growing senior segment. In 2000, 15 percent of the eldest were on line compared to 32 percent in 2007 — the most recent numbers available. Joan McGrath is 77 and lives in the Linden Ponds retirement community in Hingham. She got her first computer about six years ago. She started with email at age 68, printing out a seemingly endless supply of forwarded jokes. McGrath: We go next door to my friend Marie’s house with a bottle of wine and all my jokes and I sit there and read them…there’s about four of us…and we have more laughs. McGrath recently graduated to social networking sites…and reads a recent post. “Big downfall…the Red Sox lost as my loving husband would say…wait until next year.” She calls it the best way to keep in touch with her four kids and 11 grand kids. I asked Millie Garfield’s son what it’s like to have his 84-year-old mother on the Internet, and he scolds me — saying I shouldn’t ask the question with such wide eyed wonder. Steve Garfield: Don’t keep the stereotype going because that’s all it is — a false stereotype. There are plenty of older people who are very experienced…running countries and all kinds of things so there’s really no reason older or elder people shouldn’t use technology because they are. Experts on aging continually urge seniors to try new things — not only to avoid becoming socially isolated, but to forge new pathways in their brains — hopefully warding off age-related dementia. Garfield: This way I have some activity and learn different things//I’m sharing with younger people and younger people give me ideas and open up a whole new world. A whole new world that’s LOL; laughing — out loud. MyMomsBlog.blogspot.com