Tech head boomers

The fear of being left behind has prompted hundreds of Rotorua over-50s to get online.

A survey commissioned by over-50s community website GrownUps reveals more baby boomers are becoming technologically savvy and Rotorua SeniorNet says the trend is catching on locally.

More than 1000 Kiwi baby boomers revealed their technological habits in the annual online survey and results showed the only factor holding people back from using the internet more was a lack of free time - nearly 50 per cent of respondents said more free time would enable them to have greater use of the internet.

The survey found 97 per cent of participants were regular uses of social media sites, with 62 per cent saying they were active users of Facebook.

YouTube was also popular among the over-50s, as well as Twitter.

Rotorua SeniorNet chairman Bruce Scott said the organisation ran about 20 different types of courses and workshops which were computer related and the increasing interest in social networking had prompted SeniorNet to try and incorporate social networking into courses.

Mr Scott said it could be a challenge to teach people how to use websites such as Facebook, but the organisation would look into providing workshops where people could learn at their own pace and ask advice from tutors.

"There is a healthy interest in it but we still have to decide how we can teach it," he said.

"The main reason people want to get involved with those sorts of websites is to keep up with their children and grandchildren."

Mr Scott said SeniorNet would eventually go out of existence but in the meantime it was dedicated to preventing seniors from being left behind.

"Ultimately, as generations progress, people won't need us to help them learn how to do things.

"Everyone will already be technologically savvy."

GrownUps co-founder Richard Poole said the survey results showed over-50s were becoming technically advanced and Mr Scott agreed.

"I know some SeniorNet members who would be able to keep up with some of the younger generations," he said.

"A lot of others do want to learn how to do these things because they think that if they don't they will get left behind."