Big rise in adults online, half of seniors now use Internet

Pew Research Center's latest report on Internet use shows that in the last 8 months the number of seniors going online have started to grow significantly; half of seniors now use the Internet.

Latest research from Pew Research Center, April 2012, reveals that 53% of American adults age 65 and older now use the Internet or email. This is a surprising increase since in August 2011 just over 40% of seniors were making use of email and the Internet. This upward trend was already present in February of this year when the number of online seniors had jumped to 48%. Overall, 82% of all American adults ages 18 and older say they use the Internet or email, at least occasionally, and 67% do so on a typical day. Among adults age 65 and older, 70% use the Internet on a typical day. That compares to: • 87% of the Internet users ages 18-29 who go online on a typical day. • 86% of the Internet users ages 30-49 who go online on a typical day. • 76% of the Internet users ages 50-64 who go online on a typical day,

Pew Research Center

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Results from April 2012 show that only 34% of those members of society who are currently age 76 and older, known as the “G.I. generation”, are using the Internet. Pew’s research report states that 68% of the members of this age group would not use such technology without assistance since they feel "not confident enough and would need someone to help them get online”. Only 4% of non-Internet users in the G.I. Generation population said they would like to start using the Internet and email in the future. • 38% of non-users in the G.I. Generation population say they’re “just not interested.” • 34% of online seniors use social networking sites like Facebook and LinkedIn Gadget ownership • 31% of age 76+ own desktop computers compared to 58% of all adults over 18. • 20% of age 76+ own laptops compared to 61% of all adults over 18. • 5% own E-readers compared to 18% of all adults over 18. • 3% own tablet compared to 18% of all adults over 18. • 56% own cell phones compared to 88% of all adults over 18. Read the full The Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project, Older adults and Internet use by Kathryn Zickuhr, Mary Madden.