That's not always true. Not long ago, at the grocery store, an old lady in front of me at the cashier's desk was asking them about the shop's loyalty point system, said she didn't have her membership card with her, and asked if she could claim her points on the chain's website (yes) and what keyword she should search for to find the right page.

It's 2012.

Americans old enough to have lived through the depression are likely to appreciate the advantages of bitcoin, once their properly explained.  I don't know how Americans who lived during the period in which the gold trade was restricted feel about it, but maybe there's something there, too.  In general, I think there is quite a bit of anti-statism among the older generations that can be exploited.

I wouldn't even try to explain the technical aspect, not least because my own understanding is imperfect.  Just assure them that it's protected by unbreakable mathematical principles.

Naturally, everyone is different and the same approach might not work for everyone etc. etc.

Yes, one needs to determine if they are a neophobe or a neophile to know how to proceed. 

That is not true of everyone who is "old" (whatever age that may be).

When they aren't interested in learning about it, you don't need to explain it to them. When they are curious, it's handy to have an explanation ready to go.

I'm not sure explaining it is the best path for everyone towards understanding Bitcoin. To learn to use the dollar, nobody had to explain it. At a certain point they had to just trust the system that maintains it and Bitcoin can be similar. You just have to be able to show them a transaction or two and set them up with a wallet. More to come...

Tell them it is like sending text messages but instead of sending words, you are sending money.

Or if they know nothing of technology just tell them that because of all of the expenses and debt they built up, we are jumping ship to a new money without all of the baggage.

Be sure to mention that even though they "paid into social security" (paid taxes) all of their lives. They are now "getting it back" (receiving welfare) but in money that nobody wants.

I am in the works at giving a lecture at a local hackerspace.

Do you all have any suggestions on what I should cover and perhaps HOW?

Feel free to message me or leave your thoughts in this tread.

Sorry for the trolling

The middle-aged people.

Old people are generally defined as people over 70, who were in their prime when computers were still barely small enough to fit in universities.

First re-read, and you'll see that nobody said anything about groping.

Next go read Robert A. Heinlein's "Stranger in a Strange Land" if you don't understand the concept of grok.