Seniors Act Just Like Everyone Else, Online

09/11/2001

Though only 15% of US seniors are online, their online activity virtually mirrors that of the general internet public in the US.

The Pew Internet & American Life Project reports that just 15% of people age 65 and older in the US are online. Pew finds that this compares to 51% of the 50 to 64 year-old age group that is online.

Pew recently published findings from a March to December 2000 survey of 26,094 adults age 18 and over. The study found that senior online activities mirror the general internet population. For example, 93% of both senior internet users and all internet users go online for e-mail and 44% of both groups go online for financial information.

The usage of the internet for health information -- a common subject among the older generation -- is also comparable to the general online population. Pew finds that 53% of wired seniors go online for health information and 56% of all internet users do as well. In general, the use of the internet for health information increases as experience with the internet increases.

The eMarketer eStat Database houses 44 records related to seniors online. Pew's estimate compares favorably to Jupiter Research, which says that 16% of US seniors were online in 2000. PC Data, however, believes that only 3.5% of those age 65 and over were online in 2000.

eMarketer's upcoming eCommerce: B2C Report predicts that in 2001, 30% of US seniors (defined by eMarketer to be those people who are age 50 and over) will be online.

For more information on Internet marketing visit WebMetro: Online Marketing

Source of Article: eMarketer

Date of Article: September 11, 2001