US internet users aged 12-28 have embraced online applications that enable communicative, creative, and social uses, according to new research from the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project.
Older users are more likely to engage in online activities that require some capital, such as travel reservations and online banking, the research found.
It also found that though more than half of America’s online population is between ages 18-44, larger percentages of older Americans are going online and doing more things there than they have in the past.
The biggest increase in internet use since 2005 is in the 70-75 year-old age group. While just over one-fourth (26%) of 70-75 year olds were online in 2005, 45% of that age group is currently online.
The Generations Online in 2009 research, which was conducted between 2006 and 2008, also found that three quarters (74%) of internet users ages 64+ send and receive email, making email the most popular online activity for this age group. At the same time, email has lost some ground among teens. Some 89% of teens said they used email in 2004, but only 73% say they do now.
Since 2005, broadband access has increased dramatically in the United States across all age groups, but older groups are still largely unconnected to high-speed internet.
For Americans ages 12-24, broadband access has increased by about half; for 25-64-year-olds, it has about doubled; and for seniors 65 and older, broadband access has more than tripled.
Last October a report from In-Stat revealed that approximately 80 million new broadband subscribers worldwide signed up for high-speed access to the internet in the previous 12 months (see 80m New Broadband Subscribers Worldwide In Past Year).
Last month, eMarketer forecast that more than 17 million households in the UK, or 67.2% of the total, will subscribe to various broadband technologies in 2009 (see Boost in UK broadband use).
This figure is an increase of almost 6.5% from the 16.1 million households using broadband in 2008.
