I say this because so often I get comments from people who think it’s “only the young farmers” who are online. I also say this because research says so. In today’s lead article by eMarketer you’ll find some interesting stats such as.
Ageism is out, online. Some 55% of US adult Internet users are over age 40, according to Harris Interactive.
Although Internet penetration within the 40-and-over crowd is lower than among younger demographic groups, boomers and seniors outnumber younger adults in the general population—so that lower Internet penetration still translates into greater numbers of older Internet users, according to comScore Media Metrix.
Although younger Internet users go online for entertainment, older users are more practical in their online usage. Smart marketers will target older Internet users with special offers, uncluttered Websites and ad messages, and lots of product information.
eMarketer’s Predictions for 2009 – eMarketer