At Communiqué we often leverage social media platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter, for our clients to reach new and existing customers. While some may believe that social media is only used by a particular age, sex or gender, new research shows that adults over the age of 50 are adopting social media at a significant rate.
A recent study of more than 2,250 Internet users over the age of 18 by the Pew Research Center, adults over the age of 50 are adopting social media more quickly than young adults ages 18-29. Some of the key findings of the study include:
- Forty-two percent of Internet users ages 50 and older now use social media compared to only 22 percent a year ago.
- Between April 2009 and May 2010, Internet users ages 50-64 who said they use a social networking site grew 88 percent and those ages 65 and older grew 100 percent in their use of the sites, compared with a growth rate of just 13 percent for those ages 18-29.
- Twenty percent of adults ages 50-64 say they use a social networking site daily, up from 10 percent a year ago. Thirteen percent of adults ages 65 and older use a social networking site, up from 4 percent last year.
“Young adults continue to be the heaviest users of social media, but their growth pales in comparison with recent gains made by older users,” said Mary Madden, a senior research specialist and author of the report.
While 86 percent of Internet users ages 18-29 say they use social media; it is clear that those older than 50 years of age want to connect with people from their past and present.
“Email is still the primary way that older users maintain contact with friends, families and colleagues, but many older users now rely on social network platforms to help manage their daily communications,” said Madden.
As older adults start to use social networking as a way to keep up with family and reconnect with lost friends, there is an ever increasing opportunity for companies to reach this demographic.