BALTIMORE — Jim Redding refuses to own a cellphone. And a Blackberry or an iPod? Out of the question.
Yet within the past year, Redding, 69, has become not only computer savvy but an avid Internet surfer too. After taking a free course for seniors at his local library, Redding sends e-mails, organizes boat inspections for his yacht club, even drops in on YouTube to keep current on videos.
"I was dragged kicking and screaming" into the computer age, he said. "I used to gripe about it, but I got the basics and just kept seeing what more I could learn."
Redding is hardly alone: Seniors in recent years have been getting on the Internet at a rate that far outpaces the rest of the population. Since 2000, the number of Americans age 65 and above using the Internet rose more than 160%, said Susannah Fox, an associate director of the Pew Internet and American Life Project, which tracks the social impact of Internet use. Over the same period, no other age segment grew by more than 70%.
For many, it's a question of economics: Seniors seek access to the lower-priced goods, including drugs, that Internet commerce offers. They also want to keep up with the information that increasingly has shifted to the Web, and stay connected with friends and family who communicate via cyberspace.
"They hear, 'For a lower price or more information, check our website,' " said Tobey Dichter, founder of Generations on Line, a nonprofit group dedicated to Internet literacy for older adults. "They want access to resources, everything from government help to getting discounts."
Advocates for older Americans believe the trend is crucial to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
"We would like to see those numbers go up and for seniors to be more engaged," said Tiffany Lundquist, spokesperson for the Maryland office of the AARP, the American Assn. of Retired Persons. "Computers are an important way to stay connected and that's important to successful aging."
AARP offers many courses -- including a driver-safety program -- on its website, in addition to listings of help centers, medical assistance and prescription information.
When Medicare made sweeping changes to its benefit plans a year ago, the most accurate and up-to-date information was on the Internet, Fox said. "Brochures on the many different plans were often out-of-date soon after they were printed."
