This panel features Ronni Bennett and Lori Bitter. I’m not going to be able to stay for the entire hour, but I can’t stand to miss hearing at least some of it.
Lori is with an ad agency that targets users over 40. Ronni is “the premier elderblogger” in the country. They want to talk about why the mature market space is good business, why it’s good for elders, and what needs to change about products and services for the market to be better served.
Lori show some demographics about the baby boom and how the age wave has moved through the decades. By 2020 the number of elders will increase by 74%, and 20% of the population will be elders. There’s nothing in place to cope with this at the current time. The rise of the 50+ woman is a phenomenon and economic force. Because people live longer, families will include more generations, with most of the family members being in the elder category and not enough younger generations to care for the elders.
Ronni’s blog is timegoesby: what’s it’s really like to get older. Her research on aging showed that things declined, so she decided to do her own research. She thinks blogging will redefine what out ideas of aging are. “At 60 if you are unsung, sing, if you are unflung, fling.” That’s what blogging’s about.
Her blogroll is entirely people over 50. A new one is just turning 84. When people retire they lose their social network. The world gets smaller and smaller but blogging and other internet activities helps reduce this. Blogs promote critical and anyalytical thinking and for increasing exposure to information. They provide social interaction.
Elder bloggers often cite the friendships they form from the activity. Keeping their minds engaged makes them healthier and sharper, in spite of their health problems. She wants to get a computer into elder’s home to monitor health she thinks it would save office visits and money. Computers need to be easier to use for elders.
I had to miss the last half of their session.
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