Post Office launches new Internet Buddy Guide

Nearly three quarters (71 per cent) of people have used time spent with friends or family, such as the Christmas to New Year break, to teach non-liners how to use the internet according to new research from Post Office Broadband. However, for one in ten people, the experience was so frustrating the session ended in a shouting match.

Others find the prospect so daunting they liken it to learning to drive - 14 per cent said you should never teach a loved one. To ensure this holiday is packed with cheer, not sneer, the Post Office has launched a new guide to help web users get a friend or relative online in a way both parties can enjoy, available at postoffice.co.uk/internetbuddyguide

Although the process can be fraught, investing time in getting digitallyexcluded relatives online is worthwhile and two thirds (61 per cent) of those who did it found it rewarding:

One in five (18 per cent) who can’t use the internet say they feel ignored by society

20 per cent hate being excluded from public information web users take for granted

Non-line families are missing out on potential savings on household goods and services of up to £70 per month Typical savings calculated across 15 online saver categories: Broadband in the Home: An Analysis of the Financial Costs and Benefits, SQW Consulting, September 2008

The Post Office Internet Buddy Guide uses bite size steps to help bridge the gaps in understanding that cause the most friction. In 30 minute sessions, those with no previous experience can learn how to send emails, browse the web or download files.

A report from think tank, Demos, into understanding digital exclusion, commissioned by Post Office Broadband, identified ‘the non-line outsider’ who wants to get online but is hampered by fear, uncertainty or structural barriers such as lack of tuition Post Office Post Office commissioned the report,‘Web I’m 64: Ageing, the internet and digital inclusion’ from think tank, Demos, December 2007. The report underlined the value of ‘digital buddies’ – a friend or family member who can teach them how to use the internet in one to one training sessions.

Stewart Fox-Mills, head of Post Office Broadband, said: “Most people know a family member or close friend who uncertain about using the internet so teaching them how to get online is the perfect gift. But as anyone who has tried to do this will testify, things can come unstuck when jargon and a basic lack of PC skills become insurmountable.

“The Internet Buddy Guide is part of the Post Office’s continued investment in making it easier for people to get online. 84 per cent of our customers are new to broadband and half of these are completely new to the internet.”

Scout, Sally Milner, aged 14 and from London, who is testing the Post Office Internet Buddy Guide this Christmas, said: “I would like to teach my nan how to use the internet so we can keep in touch on email. She doesn’t have a computer but it would be great if she had one and could use it. I would love to be able to send her a photo of me on holiday, and links to things I know she would like.

“I use the internet all the time to stay in touch with my Scout friends and talk about the adventures we have and what we did at camp, but I forget that for some people it’s not that easy to remember the basics. I’m hoping this guide will help!”

The Post Office Internet Buddy Guide can be found at postoffice.co.uk/internetbuddyguide