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Thursday, October 15, 2009

NECN Report: Elder bloggers dispel myths about who's online



Ally Donnelly from NECN produced this great report: Elder bloggers dispel myths about who's online
(NECN: Ally Donnelly) - BRB, LOL, TTYL. Many of us consider this the language of the young.

But more and more senior citizens are becoming just as tech savvy as the so-called kids these days.

In tonight's cover story, Ally Donnelly introduces us to elder blogger and Facebooking grandma who are dispelling myths about who's online, in an online community.

Millie Garfield's microwave is on the fritz --- and while many sons might grab their tool belt, Steve Garfield grabs his camera.

84-year-old Garfield is a blogger --- the Swampscott, Massachusetts woman weaving her way onto the world wide web about 6 years ago, after she read about blogging in the newspaper.

Garfield: I had never heard of it. Sounded interesting and I said, gee, sounds good.

Garfield didn't even have a computer, but with the help of her son she started her own blog.

It's called "My Mom's Blog - by thoroughly modern Millie." It started with just a few tentative posts.
Continue reading the full text of the report.

Here's the video we made about Larry David not being able to open packages, A Special Message to Larry David from Millie Garfield:



I'm in the report too. Here's my quote about elder bloggers:
"I asked Millie Garfield's son what it's like to have his 84-year-old mother on the Internet, and he scolds me --- saying I shouldn't ask the question with such wide eyed wonder.

Steve Garfield: Don’t keep the stereotype going because that's all it is -- a false stereotype. There are plenty of older people who are very experienced...running countries and all kinds of things so there's really no reason older or elder people shouldn't use technology because they are."
Thanks Ally. Great report.

Cross posted from My Mom's Blog.