Baby Boomers and Digital Technology

PewInternet.org

Baby Boomers and Digital Technology

Silver Summit – Washington DC

March 28, 2012

Lee Rainie: Director, Pew Internet Project

Email: Lrainie@pewinternet.org

Generational self-definition

Internet users – 80%

93% 89% 80% 75%

58%

31%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Millennials (18-34)

Gen X (35-46)

Younger Boomers (47-56)

Older Boomers (57-65)

Silent Generation

(66-74)

G.I. Generation

(75+)

Broadband at home – 64%

74% 75% 65% 60%

45%

21%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Millennials (18-34)

Gen X (35-46)

Younger Boomers (47-56)

Older Boomers (57-65)

Silent Generation

(66-74)

G.I. Generation

(75+)

Digital devices

Millennials (18-34)

Gen X (35-46)

Younger Boomers (47-56)

Older Boomers (57-65)

Silent Generation

(66-74)

G.I. Generation

(75+)

All online adults (18+)

Cell phone 96% 94% 87% 84% 77% 52% 88%

Desktop computer 55% 67% 62% 61% 48% 29% 57% Laptop computer 70% 63% 58% 49% 32% 14% 56%

iPod or MP3 player 69% 57% 36% 24% 10% 5% 44% Game console 63% 63% 38% 19% 8% 3% 42% e-Book reader 19% 25% 18% 12% 9% 5% 19% Tablet, like iPad 23% 23% 16% 14% 8% 3% 19%

Smartphones – 46%

66% 53%

35% 22% 20% 3%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Millennials (18-34)

Gen X (35-46)

Younger Boomers (47-56)

Older Boomers (57-65)

Silent Generation

(66-74)

G.I. Generation

(75+)

81% 74%

54% 44%

26%

9% 0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Millennials (18-34)

Gen X (35-46)

Younger Boomers (47-56)

Older Boomers (57-

65)

Silent Generation

(66-74)

G.I. Generation

(75+)

Wireless connectors – 63%

56%

40%

25%

11% 4%

1%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Millennials (18-34)

GenX (35-46)

Younger Boomers (47-56)

Older Boomers (57-65)

Silent Generation (66-

74)

G.I. Generation (75+)

Download apps– 46%

Use social networking sites – 52%

78%

63%

42% 38%

20%

6% 0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Millennials (18-34)

Gen X (35-46)

Younger Boomers (47-56)

Older Boomers (57-65)

Silent Generation

(66-74)

G.I. Generation

(75+)

318.5

197.6 155.7

85.1 78.4 42.0

0.0

50.0

100.0

150.0

200.0

250.0

300.0

350.0

Millennials (18-34)

Gen X (35-46)

Younger Boomers (47-56)

Older Boomers (57-65)

Silent Generation

(66-74)

G.I. Generation

(75+)

Mean size of SNS network

Internet activities – 1 % of internet users

91 90 89 83 81

89 92

82 85 84

0

20

40

60

80

100

Email Search engines Hobby Maps/Directions Health info

Younger Boomers Older Boomers

Internet activities – 2 % of internet users

71 72 68

65

55 55

62

74 74

61

50 46

0

20

40

60

80

100

DIY info Get news Govt sites Pol news Research jobs Wikipedia

Younger Boomers Older Boomers

81

70 68

55

27

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

Research products Buy goods Travel reservations Banking Auction

% o

f in

tern

et

us

ers

Internet activities – 3 % of internet users

Big changes in messaging environment

• Users are in charge of the media “playlist”

• Attention zones are fracturing

• Influencers are different – “amateur experts”

• Feedback and participation are assumed aspects of “media” encounters

• Transparency is a new marker of trust and trust is eroding in big institutions – including the church and media enterprises

• Social networks are more important than ever

What does this mean? Social networks are more influential - 1

Sentries

What does this mean?

Evaluators

Social networks are more influential - 2

What does this mean?

Audience = New media are the

new neighborhood

Social networks are more influential - 3

Be not afraid

Thank you!