Commentary

Boomers are Seniors and Demanding Internet Services

Boomers are Seniors and Demanding Internet Services

A new eMarketer report, Seniors Online: How Aging Boomers Will Shake Up the Market, estimates that in 2005 there are 33.2 million people online in the US between the ages of 50 and 64, triple the number of 65+ online users.

Debra Aho Williamson, eMarketer Senior Analyst and author of the report, says "The current generation of adults over 65 hasn't fully adopted Internet use, in large part because many had retired before online access became common in the workplace." Williamson concludes, "The next generation of seniors will be very different."

Older Adults and Seniors Online in the US (% of population in each group)

 

Age 50-64

Age 65+

2003

61%

23.9%

2004

63.2

25.8

2005

65.9

27.7

2006

68.3

30.0

2007

70.9

32.2

2008

73.7

34.1

Source: eMarketer  and Department of Commerce  May 2005

For many Baby Boomers, the Internet is an essential part of life. Financial services, health care and real estate are just a few of the categories that will undergo massive change as Boomers demand online access to information. Ms. Williamson notes that "...the next generation of seniors use the Internet at home and at work, and they will carry those usage patterns over into the next phase of their lives."

The contrast in computer and online usage among those 50-64 and those 65+ is evident in a 2004 study by Kaiser Family Foundation.

But, according to the report's summary of the Pew Internet & American Life Project, access to the Internet drops dramatically after age 68.

US Older Adults and Seniors with Internet Access (% of respondents)

Age

Web Access

50-58

62%

59-68

46

69+

17

Source: Pew Internet and American Life Project, March 2004

The report concludes that "Boomers are often thought of as more adventurous and willing to explore new territory. Using the Internet is an extension of that quest."

For more details, read the article here.

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