Looks like we need to update the chart shared in yesterday’s post! The Pew Internet & American Life Project has released new data on social networking, reporting that now 72% of all online adults are using social sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Per the study,
“Today, social networking site use is a major activity for internet users from a wide range of demographic groups. Younger adults are especially avid adopters, but social networking continues to grow in popularity for older adults as well. Six out of ten internet users ages 50-64 are social networking site users, as are 43% of those ages 65 and older.”
You can see the increasing use of social networking by all age groups in the following chart:
Source: Pew Internet & American Life Project
Pew also chose to ask about Twitter as a stand-alone question, and found that 13% of Internet users aged 50-64 use the service. Only 5% of wired 65+ers are on Twitter.
Our own 2013 Social, Silver Surfers research found higher rates of Twitter use than Pew — nearly 40% of our Baby Boomer respondents aged 50-64 said they had at least tried the service, along with 26% of 65+ seniors. However, our data showed Facebook continues to be the more dominant network among matures. (Sign up for alerts related to Social, Silver Surfers here.)
Link to Pew report: http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2013/social-networking-sites.aspx
Related: If 43% of online seniors are using social networks, that means 57% are not. Don’t overlook “good ol’ fashioned” websites in your digital strategy. Click here for more insights — Mind the (Social Media) Gap, Keep Web Simple for Boomer Success.