Old people don’t use the internet?

I'm 78. My old school friends are the same vintage and we all keep in touch on line. The same with my old friends in Cornwall. I'm a member of U3A and at least 90% of their business seems to be carried out on line. In the art group I go to people are down loading instructional videos and buying equipment on line. Most of us would be completely lost now without the internet.

Old people invented the internet.

I self taught using a computer over 35 years ago while going back to study as a mature student.
I can't stand generalisations about people's age and capabilities regarding technology.
I was always told don't judge a book by its cover obviously some estate agents need to amend their attitude.

I agree about getting rid of him. I also wonder about his assertions about older people liking your property. I currently know of a young couple moving out of a fourth floor flat (no lift, just stairs). They're buying a bungalow. They've sold the flat to a newly retired couple!!!

Anyone remember using the BBC B computer? When computer programming seems so simple, that you could write a very simple, simple programme yourself

I also have an I pad and I phone, so consider myself reasonably up to date!

I worked for the NHS. Am now 68 and retired, but the first computer systems were brought in long before this and I, like my generation, had to learn from scratch. We had no childhood/teenage learning, no IT classes, we learnt as we went along.

I use the internet all the time at home, though I must admit am a bit puzzled by the QR code business! I’m sure it quite simple really!

Fairly hopeless estate agent - fire him. But although lots of older people use computers and the internet and mobile phones there are some who don't or can't (for a variety of reasons - lack of training or earlier experience, eyesight, lack of money, lack of precision when typing, etc.). They are at risk of exclusion from a range of services.

I am secretary to our self-managed Management Company for our block of 25 owner-occupied flats. As such I have to deal with Solicitors each time a flat is sold.

I am always totally astonished at the lack of care by far too many Estate Agents on getting the most basic details correct on their RightMove posts.

For too often I have to contact them to point out that they are advertising one of our flats with one bathroom, when all the flats have two, also often getting details about our Service charge totally incorrect etc. etc.

They also have (what apears to me), just a standard description and make no effort actually to MARKET a particular flat.

Also, and one of their most annoying traits, is that they all seem to commene with a far too high price, which means that then they have to be 'reduced' a couple months later. Many of our flats are sold after probate, and I do try to advise these sons/daughters as to realistic price for our flats, but EA's start off with much higher, totally unrealistic prices.

Like others on here I have been using computers since 1981 when we first purchased one for our children, have been on emails since mid-1990's when it was totally free (except for the dial up phone).

Jaxjacky

Kim19 me too. A couple who use the post office as they won’t use a cash point, insist on paper utility bills and never compare providers.
I have another friend who was shown how to use Amazon and spends a huge amount of time returning stuff she’s accidentally ordered multiples off because she orders from her phone (how she was shown) and won’t use a tablet or pc.
Our bowls club, where payments must be by cash or cheque, no bank transfer.

Some shops won't accept cash so I hope they can use a bank card.

Fernbergien

I was on computers in 1958 via MOD. Two large computers like four large wardrobes bunched together but taller. They were named Gert and Daisy - comedy characters from the war. Probably in a museum somewhere.

Wow, I think you take the prize. That's before many grans were born, let alone the estate agent! 🏆

He evidently has never bothered to find out the amount of silver haired folk who DO use computers.

I will be 93 in May and been using a computer for well over 24 years.
In fact I had a WW2 website put up over 20 years ago that is still being referred to worldwide, although I neglected it some years ago when nursing my hubby through Dementia.

Before anyone makes a sweeping statement, such as the one he has, I suggest that a thorough search be done to see just how many folk over 80 DO use an I-pad or computer now.

Kim19 me too. A couple who use the post office as they won’t use a cash point, insist on paper utility bills and never compare providers.
I have another friend who was shown how to use Amazon and spends a huge amount of time returning stuff she’s accidentally ordered multiples off because she orders from her phone (how she was shown) and won’t use a tablet or pc.
Our bowls club, where payments must be by cash or cheque, no bank transfer.

My husband, who taught maths, persuaded the head to get a computer in 1980. Most of the staff thought it a ridiculous waste of money but, within a couple of years, he had a room full of computers, staff pleading for classes for them and he switched to teaching IT and maths. He's now 82. Who do these ageist folk think were the first people to use them?

I think more and more people are searching via the Internet to be honest.
It wouldn't occur to me to go into an estate agent. I might call them up if they had recently sold something I liked and ask to be emailed anything similar.

I was on computers in 1958 via MOD. Two large computers like four large wardrobes bunched together but taller. They were named Gert and Daisy - comedy characters from the war. Probably in a museum somewhere.

I agree with the general quiet indignation here but I do confess to having a few friends and relatives around my age who are strictly head in the sand about anything IT and refuse to be shown either on the grounds that they haven't needed it up until now or they're too old. I don't peruse or persuade as they've definitely decided.

winterwhite

Well I think if I were thinking of buying a house I'd automatically look first in the local paper and maybe in estate agents' windows and if I found something that way it wouldn't occur to me to look online. Maybe that's all the agent agent meant.

Here I am, elderly and on internet. Whilst some would look on internet if they needed another home, I suspect we'd go to an agent.

That’s just what one of my family members and a couple of friends would do as well, winterwhite. None of them suffering from dementia or mental health issues either!

Well I think if I were thinking of buying a house I'd automatically look first in the local paper and maybe in estate agents' windows and if I found something that way it wouldn't occur to me to look online. Maybe that's all the agent agent meant.

This is a June 2021 thread.
Do they still think this after so many services going online?

I wonder if the last few years (during and after the pandemic) may have encouraged those who were reticent to "have a go".

I don't think people should get the huff about this. It's as M0nica says, there certainly are a large number of older people who will be completely unable to use a computer or purchase a property online. But they are the older ones who may have dementia or other mental health problems. This young man has confused them with the vast majority of older people who are perfectly capable of using computers, and have been doing so since before he was born. I wouldn't blame him, he just needs someone to explain it to him. He should definitely read this thread.

Ive been selling online since the late 1990s and both my Masters and my Doctorate were in human computer interaction. Im still selling online at 78.

Time to "out" that estate agent on local media, he'll soon change his tune or face a boycott on older people using his services to sell their properties, and there's a lot of us....

sarahcyn

A local estate agent told my client the other day: “you house isn’t selling because older people who might be interested don’t go online.”
Hello? My husband and I have a serious Rightmove addiction!

It goes without saying though that all of us here on GN do use the internet, and most of us have been doing so for years. Some of us are obviously experts, and others practically invented it.

But I can think of a few friends and relatives of around my age who don’t, and have no interest in doing so (and no, I don’t understand it either, but it’s their loss call).

If the estate agent had just included the word “some” in his statement he’d have been correct. And an estate agent having trouble selling a house would surely be well-advised to use a variety of platforms, not just advertising online.