Online Community For Seniors

As the population ages, marketers have discovered that many seniors are interested and fascinated by the Internet.  Many individuals who are over 60 are computer literate and have learned that the Internet can be useful for work and leisure activities.  Many individuals have realized this fact and are beginning to create an online community for seniors that will attract seniors to their services.  There is even a site called “The Cool Grandma” that declares its intentions to empower the online senior community, while having fun along the way.

Many organizations are developing an online community for seniors to provide specific information.  Some sites are meant to help seniors find housing, if the seniors want or need to move.  Some sites have been created only to become a site of links to other sites.  The idea is that there will be one online community for seniors that can provide information on such things as government services and programs, as well as information on health care, medical providers who cater to seniors and leisure activities. 

What might surprise younger people is that a development in the online community for seniors that helps seniors find people “like them” has developed.  Yes, that means that seniors are looking for companionship, just as people of other ages seek companionship.  Many seniors have outlived their partners.  Many seniors want to enjoy their retirement in the company of someone who enjoys the same things.  A Google search for “senior personals” found over one million hits.  Many of these sites are listed as “friend finders” or “personals” but many are listed as dating services that cater strictly to the online community for seniors.  

An area of the online community for seniors that will likely grow in the next decade will be in the arena of online gaming.  Many people get involved in online interactive games from friends.  There is no reason to expect that these people will suddenly cease playing, simply because they have celebrated their sixtieth (or sixty fifth, or whatever) birthday.  Senior online gamers may or may not be similar to other online gamers, but it is reasonable to expect that many entrepreneurial individuals will develop a series of online games, both interactive and non-interactive, that will appeal primarily to the senior gamer.

The online community may or may not see major changes as some of its members age.  Since computers allow users a large degree of anonymity, many seniors may continue to enjoy the ability to “just be one of the gang” and not have anyone comment on age.  Other seniors will likely want an online community for seniors that has been created for seniors only.  Given the history of the Internet, all seniors will likely find what they want.
