More Older Adults Surfing the Web


The cafe patio in San Francisco, California, is jammed with college students tapping on their laptops computers, busy with research papers and networking on Facebook and Twitter. Others are texting on smart phones or multitasking on shiny tablets. The connected world of the Internet belongs to the young. A recent Pew Internet Study - Older adults and internet use - shows that 87% of Internet users aged 18 to 29 go online on a typical day, as reported in Digital Journal.

The big surprise in the study, is the growning number on older adults now surfing the web. Fifty three percent of US adults aged 65 and older utilize the Internet or email. The increase is unprecedented. In August 2011, just over 40% of seniors employed email and the Internet. The upward trend is expected to continue.

The resilient Boomer generation is hanging tough. The study revealed 76% of Internet users aged 50-64 go online on a typical day.

The G.I. Generation, also called The Greatest Generation, 76 years and older, showed a diffident approach to the digital world, prefering assistance when using the Internet. Only 34% of G.Is venture online in a typical day.

This reticence was indicated in gadget use. According to the Pew Internet Study, the G.I. Generation fell behind in all areas of gadget ownership: desktop computers, laptops, e-readers, tablets and cell phones.

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