Study: 1 in 4 ‘Net Users 55 or Over

In my last office gig, I heard time and time again that internet marketing wasn’t worth pursuing because the demographic we served (Boomers) didn’t “get computers.” I suspected that the 50+ crowd was being underestimated technologically, and it turns out they’re gaining ground.

I came across this piece and wanted to share it- it breaks down the numbers of internet users by age. Just under half of users are over the age of 45, with 24% (1 out of 4) of those users over 55. Still think it’s not worth targeting Boomers and beyond?

Generation Xers, Baby Boomers, and even “G.I.” folks dominate their own niches when it comes to the online world, according to a new report from the Pew Internet and American Life Project.

Gen Y (also known as Millennials) make up the largest single group in the Internet-using population—30 percent—and more than half of the adult Internet population is between the ages of 18 and 44. However, Pew notes that surveys taken in 2006 and 2008 indicate that other groups are growing rapidly, with the largest increase in Internet use coming from the 70 to 75-year-old age group.

via Older ‘Net users giving youngsters a run for their money – Ars Technica.

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