31 July
2006 Chatmag News.
Seniors "LOL"
on Yahoo! Chat.
Internet chat
has been taking a pounding in the news recently, with reports of online
predators, renegade vigilante groups and a Bill passed in the U.S. House
of Representatives this past week, proposing restrictions on "social networking"
web sites and discussion forums.
Internet Chat
rooms, or as they are known on IRC (Internet Relay Chat) channels, literally
number in the millions, many far removed from the problems generally associated
with chat. For the majority of chat users, chat rooms become a second living
room, discussing every subject, from issues to recipes and beyond.
One such chat
area exists in Yahoo! Chat. A group of seniors talk it up in the Cultures
and Communities, Groups, Older and Wiser chat rooms. Yahoo! closed the
User Created chat rooms last year, with only Yahoo! chat rooms remaining
active. The Older and Wiser occupies 6 chat rooms, with a maximum of 50
users per room.
The Older and
Wiser chat rooms attract users generally above 50 years of age, an age
range not usually associated with the Internet, or chat rooms, with some
users being in their 70's and beyond. Most are widow-widowers, divorced,
and living alone. The chats give them the opportunity to connect, share
ideas, and socialize in a manner not possible without the advent of the
Internet.
Some regular chatters
have taken their online chats a step further, organizing "chat meets",
the third annual meet being held recently in Vermont. Previous meets were
held in Missouri and Tennessee. Other groups from Yahoo! chat have held
in-person get togethers, most notably the BBW (big, beautiful women) chat
room regulars, so the idea is not new, but is relatively new for the Older
and Wiser group.
Chat rooms in
the Cultures and Communities, Groups section target other age ranges and
interests, including such channels as:
30's, 40's and
50's; Expats and Seniors 60+ Music rooms.
Internet chat
is a great way to connect with others, as these seniors will attest. Now
the kids, or grandkids, can complain about someone monopolizing the computer.
Turnabout is fair play, after all.
--Chatmag News
Staff--
External Links:
Chatmag
News. 30 July 2006
The Friends of
MySpace Create Petition to Fight Proposed Legislation Banning MySpace from
Public Schools and Libraries.
Chatmag
News. 18 June 2005
Yahoo! Closes
User Created Chat Rooms.
