By Gordon
Too often executives make assumptions or have an out-of-date perspective of today’s Internet usage. This CEO’Briefing offers research findings that the Internet is a very active marketplace – even for people in their 50’s and 60’s.
Almost half (46%) of the 308 million people (62 million are under 16 years old – so 57% of those over 16) in the US access the Internet 9.6 hrs/wk. – about 52% of the time is for email and 48% for other Web usage. Men report 28% heavier Web (non-email) usage than women for sports and other male interests.
Age Matters: Over half the people aged 45 – 54 have access and use the Internet 9.4 hours per week. One-third of those 55 – 64 have access and use the Internet 8.9 hrs/wk. Look at the second chart below, 79% of the people between 45-54 use the Internet and 70% of those between 55-63 do as well.
Combine statistics with the two charts below, and you can conclude that these age groups use the Internet but, at age 55, hours of usage begins to decline.
| Internet Usage by Age | Percent Users | Hrs./Wk. Users |
|---|---|---|
| 55-64 | 33% | 8.9 |
| 45-54 | 51% | 9.4 |
| 35-44 | 56% | 9.4 |
| 25-34 | 58% | 10.2 |
| 18-24 | 55% | 9.9 |
What Do People Do On the Internet?
Email is the most popular Internet activity – across the board. The older you are, the more likely you rely on email to communicate – younger people use texting, instant messaging, and social media as alternative communications channels.
| Use/Age Group | 18-32 | 33-44 | 45-54 | 55-63 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Internet Users | 87% | 82% | 79% | 70% |
| 94 | 93 | 90 | 90 | |
| Use Search Engine | 93 | 90 | 89 | 85 |
| Research Product | 84 | 84 | 82 | 79 |
| Buy Product | 71 | 80 | 68 | 72 |
| Visit Gov’t. Website | 64 | 62 | 63 | 60 |
| Online Banking | 57 | 65 | 53 | 49 |
| Social Networking | 67 | 36 | 20 | 9 |
Research shows high usage of the Internet to research products, buy products, and use search engines – all ranking high among the various age groups – in the chart above. This evidence suggests consumers and very probably businesses rely heavily on the Internet to make buying decisions.
Men, women, and minorities use the Internet in different ways, for different functions. Again, email use ranks #1 across the board, but different market segments Internet activities are different:
| Men are more likely to use it for: | Women more likely to use it for: | Younger People 18-29 more likely touse it for: |
|---|---|---|
| News
Travel services/reservations Sport information Political News Online auction Create internet content/blogs Download music Buy / sell stocks, bond, etc. * Online banking not considered in this study. |
Health
Spiritual/religious Support group information * African-Americans & Hispanics are more likely to research schools, job training, new job opportunities, and listen/download music |
Research school or job training
New job information Instant messaging Listen/download music Sports scores & information Find place to live Use wireless device Dating sites |
| * Data from a 2004 study by Pew which pre-date on-line video, social media, and other current uses. | ||
Young vs. Older Users
Today, younger Internet users, under 30, tend to use the internet more for entertainment purposes such as music, on-line videos and playing games. Older groups look for information, news, and handle finances.
Education and Income
Internet usage and hours per week rise steadily with both education and income. Today, 75% of college graduates use the Internet an average of 9.8 hrs/wk. while 78% with Masters Degrees use it 11.5 hrs/wk. Usage drops off to 53%, 32%, and 12% for those with some college, high school diploma, or some high school. Income has somewhat the same correlation on number of users and usage.
| Internet Usage by Education | Percent Users | Hrs./Wk. Users |
|---|---|---|
| Grad School | 78% | 11.5 |
| College Grad | 75% | 9.9 |
| Some College | 53% | 9.4 |
| HS Grad | 32% | 7.9 |
| Some HS | 12% | 10.4 |
| Internet Usage by Income | Percent Users | Hrs./Wk. Users |
|---|---|---|
| $80+K | 70% | 10.3 |
| $60-79K | 75% | 10.0 |
| 40-59K | 58% | 9.0 |
| $30-39K | 45% | 10.1 |
| $20-29K | 39% | 9.6 |
| $1-19K | 27% | 8.0 |
Suburban/Urban/Rural Access
The Internet is most widely used in the suburbs of big cities – representing 81% of the population – where 50% have access and enjoy 10.7 hrs/wk of Internet usage. Large and mid-sized cities have 45 and 40% access respectively while non-urban areas have just 37% access. Regional Usage – the western US leads the country with 53% access, the south lags behind reporting 41% access. The northeast and mid-west parts of the country rank somewhere in the middle.
CEO’Briefing Conclusions
- 57% the people over 16 years old access the Internet 9.6 hours per week – 52% of the time for email and 48% for other Web usage.
- Internet access/usage rise steadily with education and income levels.
- Seventy percent or more of those in their 50’s and 60’s use the Internet but do not spend as much time online as younger groups.
- Email is the #1 use of the Internet across the board but different people use it for different things – men report 28% heavier Web usage than women.
Next CEO’Briefing: Internet usage and functionality in B2B environments.
Bibliography
Estimated Internet Usage Differences by Basic General Social Survey Demographics
Seismic Shift in Internet Age Mass, Jack Loechner, Feb. 11, 2009, Research Brief From the Center for Media Research.
From business to fun: What different generations do online, Sharon Jayson, USA TODAY, 1/28/2009
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Tags: Age of Internet Users, Internet Demographics, Internet Usage, social media, Time Spent Online, What Do People Do on the Internet
About the Author
Gordon O'Neill is the founder and CEO of O'Neill Communications and has over 30 years of experience in marketing and public relations, Gordon is invested in each client’s success. He is talented in creating strong brand identities and setting the strategic direction for businesses and associations in a wide range of industries, including finance, government, tourism, manufacturing, professional service firms, technology, and consumer goods.
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[...] Article by Gordon O’Neill President and Chief Executive Officer O’Neill Communications http://oneillcommunications.com/2010/01/who-is-using-the-internet-and-for-what/ [...]
Good information. This is consistent with what we have found. It seems internet users have expanded to include a very wide range of people, making it possible to connect with almost any type of customer online. Our target market 18 to 30 year old males and females. But, we’ve ended up finding other niches that seem to work well by trying a variety of placements online…we sell a lot to people in their 30′s, 40′s, and even 50′s.
Matt, thanks for your comment but as CEO of Snorgtees, you’re one of the best in the business.
You need to add a retweet button to your blog. I just tweeted this post, but had to do it manually. Just my $.02