Almost half of the online Baby Boomer generation (born between 1946 and 1964) update their Facebook or other social networks regularly. According to eMarketer Online senior Analyst Lisa E. Philips, “About 47% of online boomers maintain a profile on at least one social network, according to several sources. Their contacts include family, friends and co-workers of all ages.” The report goes on to discuss Boomers’ favorite networks and methods of buying online. Of the networks included as “social networks” in the study, 73% of the group maintained a Facebook profile.
The key word in the report is “maintain”. The baby-boomer respondents that indicated they maintained a social network profile, which implies regular use of the tool. This was a surprising discovery considering an earlier, June 2009 study indicating that 47.5% of boomers had simply created a profile.
An interesting result of the study is that Boomers cite “creating and renewing personal connections online” as the biggest draw to social networks. This certainly corroborates with the Boomers I know. In my experience, the standard progression for new social networkers is :
- The boomer thinks “Why use this Social Network when I have email?”
- After too many invites, the Boomer accepts reluctantly.
- Their first impression is surprise when the “recommended friends” list magically provides them with a list of old friends they haven’t seen in years.
- They use the tool relentless for 2 weeks.
- They settle into the typical Facebook routine.
The study also showed that Twitter is not very popular with this demographic, at 10%. Also, Boomers don’t read blogs: the number of blog reader/writers was below 10%. 49% of boomers use online reviews and recommendations on a retailer’s site to make their purchase, but only 9% looked to other blogs or communities for recommendations.
Another interesting contrast is the growth rate with respect to other demographics. From 2007-2008, we saw the Millenials and Generation X increase from 71% and 51% to 76% and 57%, respectively, while Boomers increased marginally from 30% to 31%. However, from 2008 to 2009, this rate shot up for boomers, jumping from 31% to 47%! The other generations continued to increase by 1% and 4%, respectively. The penetratoin of millenials tha tuse Facebook is extremely high, and the growth areas are in the older segments of the population, and the numbers are begining to show. Rupert Murdoch’s assertion that Facebook is just a “directory” may have an element of truth to it, in that everyone is going to soon be listed!
Facebook’s progression through various demographics began with its release to Harvard students in 2004. Its quick early success had it expanded to other Ivy League schools and eventually to all universities in Canada and th eUnited States. By late 2006, it was open to high schools and corporations, and on September 26, 2006, it was released to all people ages 13 an older (although this is not strongly enforced).
Baby boom stamp image found via BusinessWeek
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I'm a little tired of the notion that 40+ equals techno-illiterate. Lest these kids forget, we didn't have the internet and all this personal computer stuff growing up . . . so we INVENTED IT!
Comment by Facebook User — January 29, 2010 @ 8:28 am
It seems most would not recognize the developments from no TV to Big Screen. Who remembers a slide rule, I for one prefer the calculator or computer.
Comment by Chris Paddock — January 29, 2010 @ 10:43 am
I think the Boomers absolutely explosive move into Facebook proves that 40+ are fully literate!
Comment by Neil Vidyarthi — January 29, 2010 @ 11:04 am
Boom Boom and Away.
Comment by Facebook User — January 29, 2010 @ 11:23 am
We not only invented the internet, we invented the PC aka the personal computers!!!
Comment by JM — January 30, 2010 @ 9:15 am
I totally agree. I am 40, and the twenty-somethings I work with are amazed that I can work a Blackberry and have facebook!
Comment by Fletch — January 30, 2010 @ 7:45 pm
I think that list of five steps of the new FB user can apply to ANYONE, NOT just the "baby boomer" specified in step 2. That's annoying. I know twentysomethings who are hesitant about FB, barely touch it when they open it, and eventually get more comfortable.
And I'm not in my forties yet, but really, you DO realize that ALL the technological base required for you young'ns came from boomers, right?
Comment by Ally — February 1, 2010 @ 6:23 am
Yeah, I think the news reflects more that we're all in the same boat now… My list of the "Boomer" steps to Facebook is totally applicable to anyone that starts with Facebook. EVeryone starts by saying "why do I need it"… I am totally going to write a follow-up to this based on all the feedback.
Comment by Neil Vidyarthi — February 1, 2010 @ 8:23 am
Totally agree with alot of the comments, why is it that the younger generation thinks we don't know how to Facebook, cell phone, computer, etc…. Like someone else said, WE are the age group that invented all of their electronical toys! Ask the younger generation about some of the history of our country…wonder how many answer correctly.
Comment by Jeri B. — February 16, 2010 @ 6:24 am
I agree with Jeri B., boomers have found Facebook and Twitter, we use both to stay connected to all of our high school and college friends.
This younger generation is even more narcissitic then we are.
Just ask them a history question…Unless their smarter than a 5th grader they won't be able to answer.
Mark
Comment by Boomer 54 Mark — March 28, 2010 @ 4:53 pm
Get real lads. This analysis might capture some of the truth but ultimately it's really misleading.
All Boomers, all X'ers… are not the same like herds of sheep defined by when they were born.
Each age group contains people who could be like Stalin, Churchill, Florence Nightingale, Leonardo and Einstein. That's a very important fact, your thinking may lead you up the garden path if you don't layer that on top of these simplifications!
Comment by Mike Gale — May 12, 2010 @ 4:33 am