Become a silver surfer ..or drown

■ Your article headlined It’s a tough old life’ (Mirror, July 1) was timely. Official and commercial bodies are making life increasingly hard for older people.

Try to use your local bank... best check it hasn’t closed for good. The local Post Office may be a useful alternative... if it’s still there.

What about your local shops? Does anyone remember how useful stores such as C&A and Woolworths actually were? Big firms only care about their commercial interests, not their customers.

Now if you want to access officialdom in any way you have to use your computer or smartphone. What about those who don’t have either? This is without mentioning the cuts to the number of bus services or lack of public toilets.

Harry Bourne, South West London

■ It made me angry to read about OAPs who find technology difficult and pay the price for that – literally. It’s discrimination to charge people far more for parking just because they want to pay cash. Even in supermarkets you can still pay via a cashier. My mum is 88 and has a smartphone, but she’s too wary of using it for online banking and shopping. People, especially the old, shouldn’t be penalised for not wanting to use modern methods. Debbie Richens South London

■ I felt like saying to these oldies in your article “for goodness sake, you’ve had 10 to 20 years to get into the digital age”. We all knew it was coming, so stop being dinosaurs and embrace it. I’ve known people who tell

me they’re scared of technology. It can’t hurt you. I’m 77 and love it.

I do my banking and order stuff online, and to have a smartphone, like a mini encyclopedia, is truly astonishing.

I worked in an office in the mid-80s when the revolution began and I’ve not looked back. Sorry if I sound unfeeling, but with the right mindset you can learn to use parking apps, scan and shop etc. Brenda Morgan Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex

■ We people of a certain age aren’t dinosaurs, we just like to keep our lives private. Who needs to know all your business on a smartphone, Facebook and all the other apps?

Also, how are we supposed to buy these devices and pay for broadband, on a state pension?

People in rural areas are getting more and more isolated with banks and Post Offices closing.

Why should we be forced into technology when you read about the scams that go on every day? Jill Rycroft, Hull

■ I’m 69 and not academic, but I’ve taught myself how to do everything from booking my holiday in Wellsnext-the-Sea,

to hospital appointments and parking. My mum and dad had the attitude that they were too old, but the old guy next door at 90 orders his groceries online.

People can’t be bothered to learn because someone else will do it for them. If you don’t learn you’ll get left behind.

Teresa Thompson Ruddington, Nottingham

■ I believe life is getting worse for the older generation. As a 70-yearold, every day is a chore. I had to ditch one service provider because when I call them I end up talking to someone in Asia.

This is unacceptable when they have an office about 10 miles from my home. It’s such things that make life all the harder.

Tony Howard

Salford, Gtr Manchester

■ In Matt Roper’s excellent piece “It’s a tough old life” you had a photo of David Hudson, 79, with his daily pint of what looked like Guinness. But it looked like the head was 50 or 60p worth of ‘froth’!

I’d ask them to ‘top it off ’ next time, David.

Sam Johnson, Blackpool