Yes, Your Parents Just Might Get a Twitter Account Soon: New Study Shows More Older Adults Using Social Media

Posted by Laura Kuhlmann on 8/31/10   |   Categorized as For Sellers,Learn,social media

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A Vampires Love, charm necklace, True Blood, Twilight Inspired by Arete

From Mashable:

A new study from Pew Internet found that between April 2009 and May 2010, social networking site usage grew 88% among Internet users aged 55-64, and the 65 and older group’s social networking presence grew 100% in the same time frame. Young people still dominate social networks like Facebook, but their usage only grew 13% during the year covered by Pew’s report. Older adults are catching up at an incredibly quick pace, though it remains to be seen whether they will pass the youth or hit a ceiling at or below the usage levels reported by young adults and teens.

What does this mean? For one thing, demographics do not remain stagnant where social media is concerned. This will impact the web from the types of companies spending their ad dollars online to capture the attention of older adults, all the way to you – the independent artist marketing your products. Someone 65 years old would most likely not wear your True Blood-inspired jewelry, but you can bet they are only too aware of how much their daughter loves anything related to True Blood and Twilight. Keep that in mind especially as the holiday shopping season gets underway.

You can read more of the article here.

~Laura Kuhlmann

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  • Lisa LeBlanc

    Welcome back Laura! My mother keeps asking about Facebook (mainly b/c all of her age 60+ friends are on it)…I'm ignoring her request to show her how to sign up!

  • http://www.facebook.com/petscribbles Laura

    LOL Thanks Lisa! My father actually asked me about Facebook recently, but wasn't ready to commit to signing up for an account. Who would have thought that at age 79, he would be interested!

  • kskjold

    My Mom (69) has had a Facebook account for some time. While Dad (also 69) was out the other day, we created an account for him because Mom was tired of his jokes showing up with her name attached! My sister described Facebook to him as a party where you wander around and chat with friends and family (which includes grandkids and "long-lost" cousins.)

  • Char

    Shame on you, you ageist!

  • http://jonscreations.etsy.com Colleen`

    Yep…I'm one of the oldsters who has a facebook account….I do try not to comment on my childrens entries though, they say I embarass them!!!!

  • Lisa LeBlanc

    the comment wasn't in reference to not wanting my mom to be on Facebook because she's 60+; it's because she's my MOM and still ACTIVELY in my business…geez!!!

  • http://www.facebook.com/petscribbles Laura

    I get what you meant, Lisa, no worries! LOL I'm not sure I even know what an "ageist" is but then again I'm not a fan of labels. :) Nonetheless, it is pretty amazing to see the changing demographics with social media. And someday…egads…we will be those older adults too. ;)

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