5 Statistics on Old People and Social Media
We all have seen the memes, know the jokes and have our own personal experiences. When it comes to “old people” and technology, we know what to expect. There is no doubt that the newer generations will always be better at adapting to today’s technology. After all, it has been around them since birth. But don’t count grandma out yet. Here are some statistics on old people* that might have your rethink your need for social media marketing.
- “My demographic isn’t on Twitter, they are too old.” This is a comment we have heard again and again. While we subscribe to the thought that not all demographics are on all social media platforms, we still can’t be quick to count certain generations out. The fastest growing demographic on Twitter, according to a GlobalWebIndex Study, is the 55-64 year age bracket.
- If you have a teen, know a teen, or were a teen in the past decade you know video games are a big deal. So naturally, we think games = teenage years. Think again. It should come as no surprise that those teens that were there for the first video games are now grown. Which is reflected in smartphone owners age 30-34 and those age 40-44, which are the most likely to play games on Facebook. Go figure. You might point out that 30-something isn’t old. Fair point. It isn’t but it does still break a stereotype of how generations are using online. Which brings me to number three on our list.
- The fast-growing demographic among social networks is 74+. In case you aren’t sure about that, Pew Research has the data to back that claim up. And don’t assume it is just for checking up on grandkids either. More and more companies are seeing that same age group engaging on their social pages.
- To further support that Grandma and Grandpa do more than like photos of little Timmy, Business Insider reports that one in four mobile shoppers in the U.S. is over the age of 55. Which is why our final statistic isn’t such a surprise.
- Digital Strategy Consulting shows us that 39% percent of 60-year-olds + now own a smartphone and 21 percent of 70-79-year-olds own a tablet.
Those are the statistics on old people that well, don’t make them look so old. The next time you think your demographic isn’t online or that Grandpa wouldn’t know what to do with that new tablet for his birthday, think again. For more information on social media marketing, contact us today.
* We use this as an endearment, everyone can be young at heart.
