Broadband Adoption and Older Adults: Opportunities and Challenges Debra Berlyn Executive Director The Project to Get Older Adults onLine (GOAL)

Serve to help promote the adoption of broadband services by older adults. Raise the profile of the challenges confronting the use and adoption of technology within the older community. Create a new voice representing these issues Project GOAL

Launch 2010 Advisory Committee Sponsors Website Informal Coalition of Aging Organizations July Summit

Opportunities Broadband Offers for Older Adults

The Older Adult Community and Internet Usage – the value Telehealth and mobile health monitoring Staying connected to family and friends Searching for information Entertainment Video Chats and exchanging photos

More value… E-commerce E-government Telework Social Media (networking, etc.)

The Social Network and Older Adults? “Young adults continue to be the heaviest users of social media, but their growth pales in comparison with recent gains made by older users,” explains Mary Madden, Senior Research Specialist and author of the report. “ is still the primary way that older users maintain contact with friends, families and colleagues, but many older users now rely on social network platforms to help manage their daily communications.”

Broadband Challenges for Older Adults: Demonstrating the value The technology “gap” – training programs, overcoming the “fear factor” Online safety and privacy awareness

What’s Next for Project GOAL?

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