Look out kids. Mom and dad, and now granny and pop-pop are catching up to your use of social networking and other internet sites, according to the Pew Research Center.
A new survey analysis finds that grandkids and grandparents are LOLing together in greater numbers, though there remains a huge gap between the number of younger and older Americans online.
Pew found that some 35 percent of Americans 65 years old or over are now up online compared to 2 percent 10 years ago.
Younger computer users still dominate the field, with 90 percent of those age 18-29 online.
The amazing turnaround in adult and elderly use of the internet is spelled out in these key findings from the Pew Center’s “Social Media Usage: 2005-2015” analysis:
— Age differences: Seniors make strides – Young adults (ages 18 to 29) are the most likely to use social media – fully 90% do. Still, usage among those 65 and older has more than tripled since 2010 when 11% used social media. Today, 35% of all those 65 and older report using social media, compared with just 2% in 2005.
— Gender differences: Women and men use social media at similar rates – Women were more likely than men to use social networking sites for a number of years, although since 2014 these differences have been modest. Today, 68% of all women use social media, compared with 62% of all men.
— Socio-economic differences: Those with higher education levels and household income lead the way – Over the past decade, it has consistently been the case that those in higher-income households were more likely to use social media. More than half (56%) of those living in the lowest-income households now use social media, though growth has leveled off in the past few years. Turning to educational attainment, a similar pattern is observed. Those with at least some college experience have been consistently more likely than those with a high school degree or less to use social media over the past decade. 2013 was the first year that more than half of those with a high school diploma or less used social media.
— Racial and ethnic similarities: There are not notable differences by racial or ethnic group: 65% of whites, 65% of Hispanics and 56% of African-Americans use social media today.
— Community differences: More than half of rural residents now use social media – Those who live in rural areas are less likely than those in suburban and urban communities to use social media, a pattern consistent over the past decade. Today, 58% of rural residents, 68% of suburban residents, and 64% of urban residents use social media.
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at [email protected].
