Click on the graph to go to the page at Pew with a larger version.
If this post interests you, be sure and read Yes, Grandma is on Facebook, a post from a few days ago.
The Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project published a new study about seniors and social networking. According to Mary Madden, the report’s author, “Young adults continue to be the heaviest users of social media, but their growth pales in comparison with recent gains made by older users.” Between April 2009 and March 2010, the number of seniors involved in social networking activities increased by 100 percent. The report says that one in four seniors now use social networking sites, though e-mail is still the most used networking tool. Read the executive summary.
The graph to the right compares the increase in social networking use among four age groups, with seniors growing at the fastest rate. To see a larger, more readable version of the graph, click on the graph and go to the Pew site. The larger graph is toward the middle of the page.
At least some of the stereotypes of ageism are definitely falling by the wayside.
Other Stories About this Research
- Near majority of the over-50 crowd using social networks (seattletimes.nwsource.com – Interesting article, but the headline is not exactly accurate.)
- Social Networking Surges For Seniors (npr.org)
As Our Parents Age So Do We 