Disclosure: This is a compensated post, Information provided by the company.
Being “plugged in” isn’t just for Generation X and Millenials anymore. The latest numbers on Internet usage are starting to show that baby boomers are beginning to become just as Internet obsessed as the other generations. There are some good reasons for this sudden interest in joining the online crowd, baby boomers are discovering just how much the Internet has to offer and how much it can play a part in making their lives better.
Increased Access
Being connected to the Internet used to require more of an active choice on the part of a user. You had to specially contract for the service, learn how to run a computer and then figure out how to connect everything together. With the latest in technological advances, the Internet is everywhere whether you want it or not. Almost all cellphones come with automatic access to at least some of the Internet and more and more baby boomers are becoming accustomed to getting their news and weather updates over the Internet than from the TV. While 76% of boomers still use the TV as their main source of news, current surveys show that 30% now use the Internet. That is almost a 100% increase in less than 5 years.
More Sites for Boomers
The Internet used to all be games and geeks, but developers and companies are now creating niches for baby boomers that are attracting them online in droves. There are Oldies Music Sites, where you can find singles or albums to download of music you thought lost forever. There are history sites and sites that allow users to post pictures from the past of areas of their town to document the changes over the decades. Many of the boomers are being drawn online to reconnect with old friends, reminiscing with nostalgia posts as well as sharing news about their current lives and children’s lives. There has also been an explosion in the number of dating sites aimed at the 50+ crowd. These “boutique” sites make finding someone special easier than the monster sites where it would take years to wade through profiles of “not right.”
Money and Health
One of the biggest reasons that the Internet has seen such an increase in usage by baby boomers are the advances in information and research to do with managing money and health online. There are more educational resources, better shopping prices for medication and online banking services available than ever before. For boomers, this is proving to turn their golden years into “get up and go” years as it is easier to find places to travel that accommodate boomers, health information to help boost immune systems and better pricing on necessary items so there is more money left in the budget to spend on life.
Predictions for the Future
The Internet, especially social media, will continue to see more and more baby boomer’s flocking to its worlds as time goes on. With the younger generations being so effortlessly involved with the online world, and more comfortable with maintaining social and family contacts on a regular basis through posting, it is becoming the only way to keep up with what is happening. VOIP services like Skype are also letting baby boomers see more of their grandkids than would have been possible if all they had to rely on was the occasional flight out. Boomers are also discovering that the youth they remember so well, can be found again online through sites dedicated to preserving the music, arts and ideas of generations. It truly is keeping people connected in all directions of life and closing the distances between families.