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America's Seniors
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 America's Seniors

Feb. 4, 2003 - The number one activity of senior citizens on the Internet is staying in touch, but close behind is the search for news and events, according to a recent SeniorNet report. This follows a recent report by Forrester Research that found almost half of North Americans 58 and older are using the Web.

They survey also found 46% of US seniors (people age 50 and older) have been using the internet for over five years. Additionally, 41% have been online for between two and five years, and 76% taught themselves how to use the net.

Amount of Time US Seniors Have Been Online (% of Respondents) - SeniorNet, Nov. 2002

• <6 mos 1%

• 6-11 mos 3%

• 12-23 mos 8%

• 2-5 yrs 41%

• > 5 yrs 46%

SeniorNet surveyed 2,084 people in the US age 50 and older between September and November 2002 and determined that 94% of seniors use the net to communicate with friends and family but the second most popular activity is to search for news and events.

Online Activities Among US Seniors (% of respondents)

• Stay in touch with friends and relatives 94%

• Stay current with news and events 72%

• Research health information 70%

• Make purchases online 52%

• Research other topics 51%

• Research products/services to purchase offline 49%

• Research or check stocks and investments 38%

• Play games 35%

• Genealogy research 27%

• Access discussions 17%

• Access chat rooms 13%

• Perform investment transaction 13%

• Buy or sell on eBay 12%

• Other 15%

Source: SeniorNet, November 2002

Most of the SeniorNet survey respondents were not in their fifties, but rather 22% were between the ages of 65 and 69, 20% were between the ages of 70 and 74 and 18% were between the ages of 60 and 64.

Contrary to the popular belief that older internet users were taught how to use the net by their children or grandchildren, SeniorNet finds that 76% say they taught themselves. Another 37% say they took a class to learn and just 30% say they got help from a relative.

Forrester Research, in a recent study, estimates that 45% of seniors in North America, age 58 and older, are online.

eMarketer's reports these 2001 estimates on the number of seniors online:

US Seniors (65+) Online (% of population)

• Census Bureau 9/01 12.8%

• Pew Internet & American Life Project 9/01 15%

• Scarborough Research 2001 30%
  Source: eMarketer & others

  More recently, Forrester Research estimates that 45% of seniors in North America, age 58 and older, are online.

  Tech Profile of Seniors and Boomers in North America
   

  	Boomers (age 48-57)	Seniors (age 58+)
  HH Income	$60,843	$43,687
  College degree	36%	24%
  Have computer	70%	55%
  Have mobile phone	56%	41%
  Have PDA	7%	2%
  Are online	64%	45%
  At-home broadband access	17%	12%

  
  Source: eMarketer.com, Jan. 2003, Forrester Research, Dec 2002, and Center for Media Research, Feb. 4, 2003