It hasn’t been very long that internet connections have been widely available in our homes, and it’s been an even shorter amount of time that they’ve been fast, accessible, and relatively easy to use. You don’t need to install a 56k modem, figure out all of your dial-up settings, and connect to the internet while losing access to your phone line. Computers are a lot easier to use than they were two decades ago, and things like tablets and Chromebooks have made it even easier for people who aren’t very tech savvy to get online.

If you know a senior who has been putting off making the leap onto the internet, there’s never been a better time to figure it out. It’s affordable to get setup with a simple device like a laptop or a tablet, or even a desktop for that matter. The technology itself has never been more accessible or affordable, and it’s never been easier to use. They don’t need to be tech-savvy to get on the internet, and here are some reasons that they should considering getting online.

Note that this article is written for a senior to be reading it so that you can print it off to share with them. Obviously, any senior reading this online already has the internet, so they don’t need to be convinced! This is meant to be shared with any senior citizens in your life that you’re trying to get online.

4. Lifelong Learning

When was the last time you got excited about a new hobby or a new interest? Finding something new like this to be interested in is a great way to keep your brain healthy and strong. The internet will give yo access to incredible amounts of information. Imagine an encyclopedia that has all of the information you could ever dream of knowing, instantly available at your fingertips, and it’s completely interactive. And that’s just the start!

3. Staying Entertained

Imagine being able to watch through all of your favorite shows from back in the day. You can find episodes of just about any show you can imagine. You can watch movies from when you were young, or new releases. You can watch concerts from your favorite musicians, lectures and speeches from people throughout history, and just about anything else you can think of.

Even if you’re just using the internet to watch Netflix on your TV, you’ll love having access to so many different shows and movies – without commercials! A typical 30 minute TV show has about 8-10 minutes of commercials when you watch it on TV, but if you stream a show online without commercials, you’re not wasting almost a third of your time watching commercials. Also, you can watch whatever you want, whenever you want – there’s no “schedule.” It’s truly a game-changer for any seniors who enjoy watching TV and movies.

2. Getting Informed

The internet is a great way to keep up with the news and going ons of the world. It’s not just for entertainment, it can help keep you informed about news, sports, science, and anything else that interests you.

Besides keeping up with the latest news, you can also research all sorts of things from the past. You can look up what’s going on in your hometown, you can find a genealogy website to help you make a family tree, you can probably even track down some people you haven’t talked to in years or even decades.

Perhaps you need to look up some information about Medicare vs Medicaid, or you’re curious about aging in place, or best of all, you’d like to find a list of things that seniors can get for free. Whatever you’re looking for – you’ll find it online.

1. Keeping in Touch

Perhaps the very best reason to get online is how effective of a tool the internet is for keeping in touch with you loved ones. Whether it’s emailing your buddies, videochatting with your grandkids, or finding a message board relating to your favorite hobbies. The internet connections people, and just because it’s new to you, that doesn’t mean you can’t take advantage of what it has to offer!

It can be daunting to hop onto the internet for the first time, but it’s very worthwhile!