VOA常速英语2007-Social Networking Sites Aimed at Seniors Growing

By Steve Mort
Orlando, Florida
04 October 2007

A growing number of social-networking websites are being developed for people over the age of 50. The Internet monitoring company Hitwise says 14 percent of adult Internet users are older than 55.  And it predicts seniors in Britain will overtake 35 to 44 year olds as the age group with the largest representation online. There's a boom in networking sites targeting older people interested in keeping in touch with friends and chatting about subjects such as diet and health care. Steve Mort reports from Orlando, Florida for VOA.

The executives at GrowingBolder.com meet to discuss how their new website for so-called "silver surfers" will look.

Marc Middleton is the founder¹ of this new Internet site.  He says it will be a social-networking service, similar to youth-oriented sites like MySpace and Facebook, but with content relevant to older users.

He claims, on average, people over 50 spend more time online than any other demographic group, but so far have been ignored by online entrepreneurs.

"The U.S. is such a youth worshipping culture and I think Hollywood is to blame for that more than anything else. And there's just a dramatic, revolutionary change underway right now. It's no longer people fighting aging.  It's embracing aging."

Online marketing³ trade publisher, iMedia Connection, says more than 43 million people aged⁴ 50 or older used the Internet in 2005 -- up 21 percent from the previous year.

GrowingBolder's founders⁵ say those users generally have more money to spend and show more loyalty⁶ to certain websites.  They say less-mobile seniors often use the Internet to keep in touch.

The company's executive vice² president is Bill Shafer. "Think of what it can do for seniors. Think of how it can take people who are not feeling relevant anymore, that feel that they've lost their voice in society, and it gives them their voice back. It makes them relevant".

It also makes them relevant to advertisers.

For example, drug companies -- which now market many medications to older people -- are spending more online.  The pharmaceutical⁷ publication, Pharmalive, says more than 30 percent of the marketing budgets of such firms is dedicated⁸ to social networking.

GrowingBolder describes itself more like a TV station than a website, offering video stories and interviews with celebrities⁹ over 50.

But the number of so-called "graying Internet" sites is growing. Boomertown, Multiply, ReZoom and others are all looking for a share of the expanding seniors market.

1 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

2 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

3 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

4 aged   

adj.年老的，陈年的

参考例句：

• He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了，也老点了。
• He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老，然而记忆力还好。

5 founders   

n.创始人( founder的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He was one of the founders of the university's medical faculty. 他是该大学医学院的创建人之一。 来自辞典例句
• The founders of our religion made this a cornerstone of morality. 我们宗教的创始人把这看作是道德的基石。 来自辞典例句

6 loyalty   

n.忠诚，忠心

参考例句：

• She told him the truth from a sense of loyalty.她告诉他真相是出于忠诚。
• His loyalty to his friends was never in doubt.他对朋友的一片忠心从来没受到怀疑。

7 pharmaceutical   

adj.药学的，药物的；药用的，药剂师的

参考例句：

• She has donated money to establish a pharmaceutical laboratory.她捐款成立了一个药剂实验室。
• We are engaged in a legal tussle with a large pharmaceutical company.我们正同一家大制药公司闹法律纠纷。

8 dedicated   

adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的

参考例句：

• He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
• His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。

9 celebrities   

n.（尤指娱乐界的）名人( celebrity的名词复数 )；名流；名声；名誉

参考例句：

• He only invited A-list celebrities to his parties. 他只邀请头等名流参加他的聚会。
• a TV chat show full of B-list celebrities 由众多二流人物参加的电视访谈节目