Do you share the perception of many that Americans over 50 only dabble on the Internet? Ditch the belief.  USC says their research proves otherwise.

In fact, online behavior of older Americans is mirroring younger users’—even teens.’

Older Americans have not only embraced Web 2.0, but now often use social media as much or more than their younger, more tech-savvy counterparts. In specific areas, there is often little difference in online use between older users and some of the youngest users.

• Older people are increasingly spending time in online communities.
• Users 50+ go online more frequently to check news than the under-20 crowd.
• Users in both the 50+ and the under-50 groups have similar online shopping habits.
• 18% of users 50+ say they go online daily or several times a day to play games, compared with 22% of users under 50.

So when you’re thinking about brand messaging to the older crowd, consider the more extensive panoply of media applications.

Source: AARP and the Center for the Digital Future at the USC Annenberg School for Communication.

Christine Babick is a blogger at www.beneaththebrand.com. A marketing strategist and linguist, she specializes in marketing language, website text, “emo copy,” and cause and relationship marketing.

Article Tags: AARP | Americans | Babick | brand | Christine | Demographics | Elderly | Interactive | marketing | Older | Online | Research | USC | Videogames
Filed under: Branding, Industry News, Marketing Trends, Research, Social Media Marketing, Strategy, Technology