There are some age groups of children that I might consider saying are “too young for the internet”. I would not deny them the freedom to get on the internet if they had interest, but I would most definitely be sitting there beside them while they were online to monitor what sites they went to and to make sure that everything they did on the internet was appropriate for their age group.
What would you do if someone told you that you were too old for the internet?
One 75 year old was told just that when she went to signup for broadband service from Carphone Warehouse. The extremely active senior who walked the Great Wall of China last year and is planning a trip to Russia soon was obviously offended by the statement.
Apparently it is the policy of the store not to sign up anyone over the age of 70 for the internet service without a younger family member being present. The idea behind the policy is that older customers may not understand all of the fine print and the company does not want to be found liable for any part of the contract that the senior didn’t understand.
When I originally read this story I was pretty outraged too. It seams unfair to take any group of people and decide that they are too old or too young to appreciate something. While there may be a good number of seniors that would be confused by the contract and may need the help of a friend or family member before signing, there are a good number who would be more than able to handle the task on their own.
How do you make the distinction however from a senior who understands the contract and is ready to sign and one that may need a little help from someone else?
What are your thoughts on this? Do you think an older person shouldn’t be able to sign a contract without help from someone younger?