Your grandma may still use that AOL account for email, but don’t be surprised if you see her sharing photos and memes on The Facebook sometime soon — if she isn’t already. According to a new survey on social media by the Pew Research Center, use of the social media platform is on the rise among senior citizens.
While Facebook remains “by far” the most popular social media site, its growth has slowed while usage has increased. But old people, probably the slowest to adopt new technology, are now latching on. “[Facebook’s] membership saw little change from 2013,” Pew notes. “The one notable exception is older adults: For the first time in Pew Research findings, more than half (56%) of internet users ages 65 and older use Facebook.” The number of old people on Facebook “represents 31% of all seniors” in America.
Another interesting finding from the study concludes that more than half of adults who use Facebook are also active on another social media site, like Twitter or Instagram:
Fully 52% of online adults use two or more social media sites, a significant increase from the 42% who did so in 2013. At the same time, significantly fewer adults use just one site — 28% compared with 36% last year. As in 2013, Facebook remains the most popular site among those who use only one — fully 79% of those who use just one site report using Facebook. As in years past, a significant majority of Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and LinkedIn users say they also use Facebook, more than any other site. At the same time, the proportion of Facebook users who also use another site is on the rise — that is, there are more Facebook users this year who also use Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and LinkedIn than there were in 2013.
Better enjoy the Grandma memes while you still can.
(Photo: Franco Bouly)
