[sesqu]

I saw a documentary on people over 100. Just about all of them felt their time had come some 20 years earlier, and some were very bitter about it.

Now, you could make the argument that they wouldn't want to die if they were in good health. But then you'd have to start thinking about how good your health needs to be - good enough not to need help? Good enough to be able to do anything you want? Good enough not to worry about doing stupid things? Good enough to keep up with the world as it races ahead, knowing you will eventually be required to understand all the new things?

[Tichy]

I admit I don't know many people over 100. My grandma is 90, but I never asked her if she wants to die. From what I've read, I would have expected a positive outlook on life to be a character trait shared by many old people.

I guess nature has also made it so that it becomes easier to die. As I said, if your physical health is dwindling day by day, perhaps there is a point when it doesn't seem so much fun to be alive anymore. Also if all friends have already died, perhaps it becomes lonely.

All these are just more reasons to feel sad, though. What if we could become 80 and still feel fit?

[GFischer]

My grandparents are also close to 90, and they do feel very lonely, I can see it in them whenever I visit.

My grandfather in particular was an agricultural scientist, he loves plants and outdoors and working with tools, and used to be very energetic.

Now he has to sit on a wheelchair, and grows bored of watching TV and reading (it doesn't help that his eyesight is very bad).

Their current enjoyment are their grandchildren, and we've grown old. I just hope they can get to see their grand-grandchildren (my girlfriend and I expect to have children in 2 to 3 years' time), that might get them some enjoyment again.

[Tichy]

I keep wondering if I should introduce my grandma (90 years old) to World Of Warcraft. A couple of years I gave her her first computer (against the advice of the rest of the family), and she does a lot of stuff with it (for example email, online banking, what I know).

Hm, maybe I'll just give her a WoW account + better graphics card for christmass. Who knows :-)

In theory the internet should be great for lonely people stuck at home. My problem is that apart from Hacker News, I don't really know where to turn on the internet when I feel lonely, either.

Any pointers? Most chat rooms seem really tacky, but I didn't do that much research.

Is there a MMORPG for the iPad yet?