New study finds the percentage of older Americans who go online is steadily increasing.
An ongoing Pew Internet and American Life Project study found in 2000 only 15% of Americans 65 or older reported access to the Internet. Last year that number had risen to 22%. And in a survey conducted in January of this year, the number grew to 26%, reported eMarketer.
The researchers theorize that the heightened level of wired seniors’ activities online reflects the fact that they are new users — with a difference. New users normally adopt e-mail and information-gathering immediately, but shy away from making purchases, banking or participating in online auctions.
Additionally, as the population ages and more people who regularly used the internet at work are retiring, the over-65 set will probably have higher rates of connectivity and report higher rates of “high trust” activities.
Furthermore, the study found that once new seniors internet users get online, they are just as enthusiastic as younger users. Wired seniors are as keen as younger users to take advantage of the major activities that define online life — such as e-mail and the use of search engines to answer a specific question. In addition, they are as likely as younger users to go online on a typical day.
