Saturday, September 24, 2005

Young people (mainly children) are being encouraged to take the role of “Internet trainer” in order to help teach Internet literacy skills to older people. On 24 September Grandparents Day is celebrated in the United Kingdom, and BT Group plc is marking this Grandparents Day by trying to persuade children to teach their grandparents how to use “the Net”. This effort is being made to help prevent grandparents from becoming “digitally excluded”.

A web site, Internet Rangers, by BT, was recently launched with tools, activities and advice to assist children with helping their grandparents make use of one of the world’s largest information resource, the Internet. The site links to BT’s “Green X Code” of conduct which encourages kids to stay safe while accessing the Internet.

BT is working with governments and other commercial organisations to help provide Internet access to people who are currently unable to get access. Recent research shows that teenagers aged between 13 and 16 have been encouraging their parents and grandparents to “surf the Net”.

By the year 2025, around 23 million adults could miss out on what the Internet has to offer, according to BT.