Social media: It’s not just for kids anymore

Many organizations turn their social-media strategies over to the younger generation, concluding the “digital natives” best speak the language of that world.

But changing demographics indicate those “natives” may not understand the culture of a large swath of social-media users.

Over the past few years, surveys have shown older adults are flooding Facebook, Twitter, and other social media. And that trend is continuing, according to new research from the Pew Internet & American Life Project:

• In May 2010, 42 percent of adults 50 and older surveyed said they now use social-networking services. That’s up from 22 percent in April 2009.
• Twenty percent of those on such services use them at least once a day, up from 10 percent of older social-networking users in 2009.
• Sending or reading e-mail remains the top online activity for those 50 and older.

Pew researchers shows this age bracket is more likely to connect with people from the past using social networking. Others are using the sites to find support groups for chronic or terminal diseases.

The survey used random digit dialing of landline and cellular users to sample of 2,252 American adults ages 18 and older. The sampling error was +/- 2.4 percentage points. A PDF of the complete report and its methodology is available from Pew.

Be Sociable, Share!

• 

No related posts.