Silver surfers may be getting web-savvy but men and women are spending their time online in very different ways.

A survey by ICM for Age Concern and Barclays revealed 78 per cent of men aged 55-plus used the internet for pursuing hobbies and finding information while 86 per cent of women in this age group used it as an alternative to the telephone for chatting with friends and family here and abroad.

It also showed almost all those who give information technology (IT) a go get hooked.

Two-thirds of IT users in the 55-plus age group agreed the internet had had a positive impact on their lives.

However, there were still many people who had not had the chance to log on and 66 per cent of these said they had no intention of ever taking part in the IT revolution.

The research was the second project resulting from Web Aware, a three-year partnership between Age Concern and Barclays which aims to bring the advantages of IT to older people and include them in the technological and social revolution caused by the internet.

Tony Frances, 65, from Walsall in the West Midlands, took part in an IT course after retiring from HGV driving and bought a computer to use as a hobby for himself and his wife, Val, who is also 65.

According to Age Concern, the couple are a prime example of how the sexes differ in their online habits, although they run a web site on orchids together.

Mr Frances said: "My wife is better at picking things up than me. She emails people all the time.

I tend to search around looking up history and geography sites and spend hours restoring family photographs."

Mrs Frances said: "I spend more time on the internet than my husband.

I have to ration myself or I'll get addicted. I email back to people from all over the world, answering queries arising from our web site on orchids and use it to keep in touch with my grandkids.

"I think all retired people should have a PC simply because it gives you knowledge and knowledge is power."

Trends suggest the increase in the number of families with friends or relatives overseas will impact on internet use between the generations and email will become a serious competitor to the telephone, which is the preferred method of contact for 79 per cent of older people.

The research found older IT enthusiasts were also more likely to own a mobile phone if they already owned a PC and twice as likely to catch the texting bug along with their grandchildren.

The survey revealed a north/south divide with silver surfers in Manchester more likely to use the internet for hobbies (78 per cent compared with 69 per cent in London).

Those in London were more likely to keep one eye on their savings by banking online (38 per cent compared with 32 per cent in Manchester).

The next phase of Web Aware will deliver internet taster sessions in day centres and residential homes, starting with projects in Devon, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Enfield.

Director general of Age Concern England Gordon Lishman said: "The challenge is to give even more older people the confidence to use their new skills in work, for pleasure and for gaining access to online services."

Charles Gilson, a volunteer who helps older people learn about computers one morning a week at Age Concern's Ditchling Road offices in Brighton, said he was less concerned by differences between the sexes than by those people missing out altogether.

He said: "We had one old gentleman who had never ever seen a computer so we had to start at the very beginning. Others want to learn how to send emails to relations living abroad or find information on back problems.

"In my experience, there's not much difference between the sexes and everyone is more interested in the internet than using computers to write documents. Over the last few years many people have been left behind and are scared to give computers a go. That's the real shame."

www.icmresearch.co.uk
www.ageconcern.org.uk
www.barclays.co.uk