Silver-Haired Surfers: Web sites for senior citizens -- and for seniors-to-be

By WALTER S. MOSSBERG

Not so long ago, the assumption that the older you were, the less likely you were to use the Internet or to find relevant material there was widespread. But that stereotype is badly outdated. In fact, senior citizens, as well as near seniors (or junior seniors, perhaps?) in their 50s, are flocking to the Internet in rising numbers, and sites aimed at seniors are sprouting like dandelions.

Use of the Internet, and of computers themselves, seems to be almost a generation-skipping skill. Kids are quite adept; parents in their 30s and 40s seem relatively less so, perhaps due to the time squeeze of jobs and child-rearing, while grandparents, and seniors in general, are getting wired. This is especially true of retirees, many of whom find themselves with time on their hands and a keen curiosity about what's out there.

Seniors are, of course, interested in all the same things that draw younger surfers, from music to technology, books to investments, politics to pornography. But most have a special interest in such issues as retirement planning, health, travel, family and mature romance.

So what is on the Internet for seniors?

Well, as usual, there are a lot of sites in the category -- a casual Yahoo! search turns up long lists -- but I could find none I considered truly excellent for a broad range of seniors, perhaps because of the great diversity of seniors' interests and circumstances. I also found that, even more than most other Web sites, senior-oriented sites are out to sell things to their target audience. Even the best of the sites weave marketing and sales pitches in with editorial material in such a way that they can sometimes be hard to distinguish.

With those caveats in mind, here are some of the major sites.

AARP Webplace (www.aarp.org)

Just like its parent organization, the American Association of Retired Persons, this site offers a mix of solid advice and information, sales pitches for insurance and other products offered by the group, and political messages in support of legislation favored by AARP's potent lobbying arm.

SeniorSite (http://www.seniorsite.com/)

This is a meaty, deep repository mainly of health information, packed with articles about such things as arthritis, diet and dealing with doctors. Describing itself as "the first online community for older adults that doesn't treat you like a useless dinosaur," the site also has areas dealing with money and romance.

Third Age (www.thirdage.com)

This site reaches all the way down to age 45 to define its audience, and it seems aimed at becoming the cyberhaven for aging and retiring baby boomers. That's an alluring goal, but it presents a short-term problem. The oldest boomers are only 52, and few have retired (though the most famous boomer, the one in the White House, may achieve that status sooner than planned). Few think of themselves as "seniors."

All in all, Third Age is a good place for younger seniors to hang out, but it may not appeal to older retirees.

Adult Living Channel (http://www.adultlivingchannel.com/)

This site, which describes itself as "the only Web site dedicated to the second half of our lives," is a giant directory of detailed links to other resources on the Web.

The Mining Company (home.miningco.com)

This is an innovative Web site that tackles a wide variety of issues, each in its own section of the site. Every issue-based area is overseen by an editor, or guide, with an interest and/or background in that subject. These guides write and post relevant articles, and assemble related Web links.