Push to connect seniors with Internet falls flat
If there’s one sector of voters that politicians trip drool and fumble over to capture it’s seniors. Why? Because the over 65 crowd votes in droves.
So when nine mayoral candidates pitch their platforms to some 400 silver-haired Calgarians at the Kirby Centre they needed to connect — too bad then that several candidates focused on social media and the Internet as a way to do that.
“I think that’s out-of-touch” says Mel Teghtmeyer a member of Coalition of Seniors’ Advocates Association. “Most of the people here if they have the Internet they only read the message. The over-65 crowd are used to communicating face to face.”
Face to face? #that’ssooldit’salmostnew #yycvote. Tweet that.
According to Stats Canada seniors are three times less likely to use the Internet than Gen-Y’ers.
So when mayoral hopeful Joe Connelly told the crowd the best way to improve the relationship between the city and “old adults” was the Internet the response was predictable.
Crickets.
“I’m going to listen to you… through the Internet” said Connelly. “Who has access to the Internet? Everybody got access to the Internet? Most people do. It’s really simple.”
Yes. Yes it is.
