Findings: Older Adults and Social Media

Social networking utilise amidst internet users ages 50 and older has almost doubled—from 22% to 42% over the past year.

While social media use has grown dramatically across all age groups, older users have been especially enthusiastic over the past year well-nigh embracing new networking tools.  Although email continues to be the primary fashion that older users maintain contact with friends, families and colleagues, many users now rely on social network platforms to help manage their daily communications—sharing links, photos, videos, news and condition updates with a growing network of contacts.

Half (47%) of cyberspace users ages fifty-64 and one in four (26%) users age 65 and older now employ social networking sites.

Half of online adults ages fifty-64 and one in four wired seniors now count themselves amongst the Facebooking and LinkedIn masses. That's up from merely 25% of online adults ages 50-64 and 13% of those ages 65 and older who reported social networking use 1 year agone in a survey conducted in April 2009.

Young adult internet users ages 18-29 continue to be the heaviest users of social networking sites like Facebook and LinkedIn, with 86% saying they use the sites. Still, over the past year, their growth paled in comparison with the gains made by older users. Between Apr 2009 and May 2010, internet users ages 50-64 who said they utilise a social networking site like MySpace, Facebook or LinkedIn grew 88% and those ages 65 and older grew 100% in their adoption of the sites, compared with a growth rate of thirteen% for those ages eighteen-29.

Social networking use continues to grow among older users

One in ten (xi%) online adults ages 50-64 and ane in 20 (5%) online adults ages 65 and older now say they use Twitter or some other service to share updates nigh themselves or see updates about others.

The utilise of Twitter and other services to share status updates has as well grown among older users—near notably among those ages 50-64. While only 5% of users ages fifty-64 had used Twitter or some other condition update service in 2009, 11% now say they use these tools. On a typical day, 6% of online adults ages 50-64 make Twitter a part of their routine, upward from the 1% who did then in 2009.

By comparison, social networking sites have gained a much larger foothold in the lives of older Americans over time. I in v (20%) adults ages fifty-64 say they utilise social networking sites on a typical day, upwardly from ten% one year agone. Likewise, 13% of online adults ages 65 and older log on to social networking sites, compared with but four% who did so in 2009.

Electronic mail and online news are notwithstanding more than highly-seasoned to older users, but social media sites attract many repeat visitors.

While electronic mail may be falling out of favor with today'south teenagers, older adults even so rely on it heavily as an essential tool for their daily communications. Overall, 92% of those ages 50-64 and 89% of those ages 65 and older send or read email and more than than half of each group exchanges email messages on a typical mean solar day. Online news gathering as well ranks highly in the daily media habits of older adults; 76% of internet users ages 50-64 get news online, and 42% do so on a typical twenty-four hour period.1 Among net users ages 65 and older, 62% look for news online and 34% do then on a typical day.

Social media backdrop—including networking and status update sites—are newer additions to the daily digital diet of older adults. Yet, the "stickiness" of the sites is notable. To await at the data another way, among the pool of adults ages 50 and older who use social networking sites, 44% used them on the day prior to their being contacted for our survey.

The pool of Twitter and status update users ages l and older is besides small to segment, but the behavior of this express early adopter group does advise a similar tendency towards regular apply of the sites.

By comparing, less than one-half of online banking users ages l and older visited the sites on a typical day and less than 1 in v older users of online classified sites reported employ of the sites "yesterday."

A Typical Day: Where social media use fits in

As our recent enquiry has shown, the oldest adults in the U.S. (age 65+) are among the to the lowest degree probable to have high-speed admission. (Just 31% have broadband at home). They are as well the least likely to run across the lack of having broadband as a disadvantage.

However, fifty-fifty though older adults may exist among the most resistant to broadband, in that location is evidence that once these users get a taste of high-speed access, they frequently come to rely on the internet as an everyday utility in their lives. While the rates of broadband adoption amongst the oldest users are low, the frequency of apply among those who do have high-speed access is relatively close to the usage levels of younger users.

Looking at adults ages 65 and older who take high-speed internet connections at home, 72% say they use the internet on a typical solar day. That compares with 77% of broadband users ages l-64, 84% of those ages thirty-49 and 86% of those ages 18-29.

Social media use is somewhat more prevalent among older users who have high-speed connections at home. Amongst broadband users ages 50-64, 52% now use social networking sites and 24% exercise so on a typical day. Among adults historic period 65 and older who have broadband at home, 28% now use social networking sites and fifteen% practice and so on a typical twenty-four hours. Amongst many other activities, having loftier-speed access has also been associated with a greater trend to blog and share other forms of creative content online.2

And so why might social media be increasingly attractive to older adults?

Kickoff,our inquiry shows that social networking users are much more probable to reconnect with people from their past, and these renewed connections tin provide a powerful support network when people near retirement or embark on a new career.

In our September 2009 survey, nigh half of all social networking users ages 50 and older said they had been contacted past someone from their past who establish them online. Overall, 64% of social networking users have searched for data most someone from their past, compared with xxx% of non-users.

Second, older adults are more likely to be living with a chronic disease , and those living with these diseases are more than likely to reach out for support online.

There are 2 activities which stand out among people living with chronic disease: blogging and participating in online wellness discussions. When other demographic factors are held abiding, having a chronic disease significantly increases an internet user's likelihood to say they work on a blog or contribute to an online give-and-take, a listserv, or other forum that helps people with personal bug or health problems.

And finally, social media bridges generational gaps. While the results can sometimes be messy, these social spaces puddle together users from very different parts of people's lives and provide the opportunity to share skills beyond generational divides.

In that location are few other spaces—online or offline—where tweens, teens, sandwich generation members, grandparents, friends and neighbors regularly intersect and communicate across the same network. Photos, videos and updates shared on a daily ground can provide a valuable connection to faraway family unit and friends who are tied together in a variety of means. The children and grandchildren of older adults are documenting many aspects of their lives through social media, and these are also becoming popular spaces for professional networking, standing education, and political participation.

Diverse organizations that work with older adults—such as AARP, Older Adults Technology Services (OATS) and Project GOAL—have been actively promoting social media resources that are relevant to mature users. In March, the FCC'south National Broadband Plan specifically requested additional funding from Congress to invest in digital literacy training programs for older Americans. One thought proposed nether the plan was to support a "National Digital Literacy Corps" that trains volunteers to teach digital skills to those who are to the lowest degree continued in their communities—including pairing tech-savvy digital natives with seniors. With 86% of internet users ages eighteen-29 using social networking sites and 60% doing and then on a typical day, it is non hard to imagine that some of these young mentors would be eager to share their skills in profile management with older users.

Social media trends by age, 2009-2010