Older Internet users close to being largest group online
Howard Lake | 6 June 2007 | News
“Silver surfers”, UK Internet users aged 55 or over, are about to overtake 35-44 year olds as the most common age group online, according to the May 2007 newsletter of online monitoring service Hitwise UK.
In the four weeks to 12 May 2007, Internet users aged 55 or over accounted for 22% of UK visits to all categories of websites monitored by Hitwise UK, compared to 23.5% of visits by 35-44 year olds. This represents a rise in older users’ use of the Interent of 54% since 2005 and 40% since 2006.
It is not just wealthier older people using the Internet more. Hitwise UK say that the Experian Mosaic groups Twilight Subsistence (pensioners subsisting on meagre incomes) and Grey Perspectives (pensioners enjoying retirement with savings to supplement their pensions) increased their Internet visits by 29% and 30% respectively over the past two years.
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Hitwise UK added that “silver surfers show a particular fondness for Travel and News and Media websites… Last week, 27% of visits to Travel websites and 24% of visits to News and Media websites were from those aged 55+.”
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About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.