A NEW poll has found that retirees from Surrey are becoming part of a growing generation of internet age pensioners (IAPs).
Research from retirement house builder McCarthy & Stone found more than half of adults aged over 60 are comfortable with downloading new apps, are happy to back up their PC with security software and think nothing of synching their iPhones, or uploading pictures on Facebook.
While 83 per cent of respondents in Surrey said they still generally like to keep in contact with their friends and family via the telephone, an impressive 58 per cent are frequent users of Facebook, and 56 per cent of those regularly use it for messaging purposes.
Julie Ward, sales and marketing director for McCarthy & Stone, said: "There is a perception that retirees are less knowledgeable when it comes to technology, but that really isn't the case anymore. For example, did you know that 51 per cent of pensioners in Surrey now own a tablet device while 46 per cent have smartphones?
"While some may feel that they need to keep up with modern modes of communication if they want to keep in touch with the younger generation, many more are actually turning to technology because they understand that it can help make their lives much easier.
"We were amazed to discover that well over half of those we surveyed said they were comfortable using online banking to manage their finances, 83 per cent said they will use Google to find answers, and 50 prefer GPS to a standard map."
The survey also found that 75 per cent had used the internet to research deals and utility quotes, 70 per cent to research days out and 71 per cent had booked a holiday online. Laptops were the most desired new piece of tech the group wanted.
