Silver Surfers: Internet Usage Among Older Generations
The Internet isn’t just for tweens and young socialites. In fact, a large population of Internet users are 50 and older, utilizing the Web for social media, shopping and even education. Let’s take a look at why the stereotype of the not-so-tech-savvy Baby Boomer is more than faulty.
Stats and Facts
Almost 1 in 5
Percentage of Twitter users over 50
53%
Percentage of Americans 65+ who use the Internet
Of that 53%, 70% use it on a typical day.
27 hours per week
Average amount of time Baby Boomers 47-65 spent on the Internet in 2012
48%
Percentage of seniors (65+) who own a desktop computer
63%
Percentage of adults 50-64 who own a desktop computer
Senior Internet use (2000-2012)
The number of adults 50+ who use the Internet has grown significantly in the past 12 years.
A Closer Look: Social Media
Though the average age of the social media user is fairly young, a large percentage of social media profiles belong to adults 55 and over.
27.4 million
Adults 55+ who engage in social networking to communicate
1 in 3
Online seniors who use social media
This is a big difference from 2009, where only 13% of online seniors were using social media.
49%
Percentage of online seniors who have a Facebook account
18%
Percentage of Twitter users 50 and older
A Closer Look: Shopping
Maybe it’s because they have the most money of any age group, or maybe it’s because they like the convenience; whatever the reason, adults 50 and older constitute a majority of the online consumer population.
59%
Percentage of online seniors who have made an online purchase in the past three months
$7 billion
Average annual amount spent online by adults aged 50+
Adults 50+ account for 80% of all online luxury travel spending.
Sources:
www.pewinternet.org
www.immersionactive.com
www.blogs.forrester.com
www.emarketer.com