Article by Plusnet

Wednesday, December 14th 2011

by Paul France - paul@cable.co.uk

Guidance on using the internet is sought by one in five people aged over 55.

A Plusnet study has discovered more than a fifth of over-55s have taken lessons in a bid to make the most out of their broadband connection.

Some 22 per cent of people in this age bracket have received tuition on using the internet, compared to just eight per cent of those aged between 16 and 24.

While younger broadband users may feel they are in less need of guidance than silver surfers, the research found the older generations actually have a greater understanding of a wide range of technical terms associated with the internet.

Almost three-quarters of over-55s claimed to know the meaning of jargon such as bandwidth, Wi-Fi and download, while around two in five 16 to 24-year-olds were not sure about these expressions.

Jamie Ford, chief executive of Plusnet, said: "It just goes to show that despite the growing online literacy in the UK, people are still unsure of certain key terms and uses for the internet."

The broadband provider also recently claimed nearly half of Brits are not confident about downloading music from iTunes and around two-fifths would struggle to set up a social networking profile.