Over 74s are getting online

The Pew Research Center – a US-based independent public opinion research organisation – has reported that older people are gaining ground on younger generations in online activities.

The report ‘Generations Online in 2010’ suggested that older internet users were – perhaps not surprisingly – more likely to surf government websites and financial information sites than teenagers.

In addition, and more interestingly, social networks are seeing their fastest growth in the group of users aged 74 and above. This should not disguise the fact that the younger generations are still the largest social network users, but since 2008 usage by older people has grown fourfold, from 4% to 16%. Users of ages up to forty still make up the largest group of internet users, but older users are undoubtedly closing the ‘generation’ gap.

Older users are watching more online video clips than they used to with a jump from 52% in May 2008 to 66% two years later.

Just over half of adult internet users listen to music online, an increase of half since 34% said they did in June 2004.

Older people may have various motivations to use the Internet, but its reach is definitely growing and grabbing the interest of the older generation.

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