Older Americans Are Big Technology Users
By Anna Johnson on January 27th, 2009A new study from Compete and the Consumer Electronics Association indicates that consumers aged 50 and over virtually match younger generations in their technology usage.
There are about 100 million Americans aged 50 and over, and they control billions in disposable income.
Furthermore, those categorized as 50-something, 60-something and 70+ use many technologies at or near comparable rates as younger age segments.
According to the study, “Greying Gadgets: How Older Americans Shop for and Use Consumer Electronics,” consumers in their 50s are as likely to own, or plan on buying, an HDTV as those under 50.
80 percent of 60-somethings used a cell phone in the past week, nearly equal the usage rates of 18-34 year olds. Meanwhile, 71 percent of 60-somethings and 52 percent of 70-somethings used a search engine in the past week, compared to 77 percent of 18-34 year olds.
