[1st-mile-nm] OLDER ADULTS AND INTERNET USE

[Richard Lowenberg]

Pew's Internet & American Life Project,

Authors: Kathryn Zickuhr and Mary Madden.

As of April 2012, 53% of American adults age 65 and older use the 
internet or email. Though these adults are still less likely than all 
other age groups to use the internet, the latest data represent the 
first time that half of seniors are going online. After several years of 
very little growth among this group, these gains are significant. As of 
February 2012, one third (34%) of internet users age 65 and older use 
social networking sites such as Facebook, and 18% do so on a typical 
day. By comparison, email use continues to be the bedrock of online 
communications for seniors. As of August 2011, 86% of internet users age 
65 and older use email, with 48% doing so on a typical day. Looking at 
gadget ownership, we find that a growing share of seniors own a cell 
phone. Some 69% of adults ages 65 and older report that they have a 
mobile phone, up from 57% in May 2010. Even among those currently age 76 
and older, 56% report owning a cell phone of some kind, up from 47% of 
this generation in 2010.

The Pew study’s Summary of Findings and link to the full report are at:
http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2012/Older-adults-and-internet-use/Summary-of-findings/Findings.aspx



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Richard Lowenberg
1st-Mile Institute
Box 8001, Santa Fe, NM 87504
505-989-9110 / 505-603-5200
www.1st-mile.com   rl at 1st-mile.com
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