If there's one thing most humans are afraid of, it's dying alone. Worse still though, is living alone once the active part of your life is past. The best way to prevent either is to use the most incredible tool in the last decades, the Internet.

I've already mentioned things like iTunes U on other pages, but what about concepts in social networking rather than pure education? Although fairly recent in its current state, online social networking is as old as the Internet technology. For most people (non-geeks) this began to be visible to ordinary people circa 1993 via Compuserve and AOL. In those days, email and Usent postings were most of what was available. In around 1995, forums began to take over and between 2000 and 2005 or so, forums dominated the social area.

In the last few years, the old paradigm of the forum is being overtaken by social networks. These take many forms, but the main feature is the interactivity between members. Even blogs , while written by a single author, should be venues for discussion. Discussion with others is one of the most important element in intellectual stimulation and staying active mentally is a key to remaining vital regardless of age. You can even start your own social network about a passion you wish to share at sites like Ning.

In this day and age, the Baby Boomers and subsequent generations are the luckiest ever to inhabit the earth because of the connection between all of us. You can meet and exchange ideas with people all over the world (albeit in developed nations). You can read books, listen to podcasts, subscribe to world class writers, all free and easy once you master a few simple techniques.

Bottom line: make is so for someone you care about

If you're getting older and afraid of technology, find someone you trust to help you master that fear, it's a lot less scary than getting old alone! If you have a family member or friend that refuses to connect online, try to gently get them there. A few simple rules and common sense will protect adults from phishing, email scams and the rest of the dangers that come with the territory.

Look into one or more of the following: travel, music, photo, video sites that allow social networking between members. The obvious beginner choices are YouTube, Talkshoe and Flickr. However, there are many, many more.

Get good at Google, it's the most important skill for maximizing your Internet experience.

In future pages, I will bring more detail to all of these concepts. For more ranting about how the Internet will help you grow, listen to Ageless.