Mary Madden presented at a meeting convened at the University of Michigan to discuss the current state/future direction of research looking at older adults and tech use.

1. Older Adults and Internet Use:
(Some of) What we know
Mary Madden, Senior Researcher
Pew Research Center
October 21, 2013
University of Michigan

2. About Pew Internet
• Part of the Pew Research Center, a
non-partisan “fact tank” in
Washington, DC
• Studying how people use digital
technologies since 1999.
• Does not promote specific
technologies or make policy
recommendations
• Research is primarily based on
nationally representative surveys
of U.S. adults

3. 1 Internet Use Among Older Adults
2 Broadband + Smartphone Ownership
3 Social Media Use
4 Health Info Seeking
5 An Invitation

4. Part One: Internet Use Among
Older Adults

5. Older Adults + Internet Use: 2013
85% of all adults are online.
Among 65+, 56% are online.
70% of adults have broadband at home.
Among 65+, 43% have broadband.
Increasing numbers of all adults are using mobile phones to go online.

6. Offline adults by age
% in each group who do not use the internet or email
% who do not
go online
All Americans ages 18+ (n=2,252)
15%
Age
a
18-29 (n=404)
2
b
30-49 (n=577)
8a
c
50-64 (n=641)
17ab
d
65+ (n=570)
44abc
Source: Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project Spring Tracking Survey,
April 17 – May 19, 2013. N=2,252 adults ages 18+. Interviews were conducted in English
and Spanish and on landline and cell phones. The margin of error for results based on all
adults is +/- 2.3 percentage points.
Among adults
ages 77+
62%
are offline

7. What is the main reason you don’t use the internet or email?
60%
50%
48%
47%
40%
30%
35%
2007
34%
2009
32%
2010
2013
20%
21%
16%
10%
19%
18%
15%
18%
15%
12%
11%
6% 7%
0%
Relevance
Price
Usability
Avail. / Access
Source: Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project Surveys. Data for 2013 from Pew Research
Center’s Internet & American Life Project Spring Tracking Survey, April 17 – May 19, 2013. N=2,252 adults
ages 18+. Interviews were conducted in English and Spanish and on landline and cell phones.

8. Other barriers for 65+
• Assistance is needed: just 13% of non-internet users ages 65+
said they would know enough to go online without help from
someone else.
• But few are interested enough to seek it: Just 5% of offline
adults in this age group say they would like to start using the
internet or email.
• Many are making due with secondary use: 44% of noninternet users ages 65+ have asked a friend or family member
to look something up or complete a task on the internet for
them.

9. Part Two: Broadband + Smartphone
Ownership

11. Home broadband demographics 2013
% in each group who have high-speed broadband at home
% with home
broadband
All Americans ages 18+ (n=2,252)
70%
Age
a
18-29 (n=404)
80cd
b
30-49 (n=577)
78cd
c
50-64 (n=641)
69d
d
65+ (n=570)
43
Source: Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project Spring Tracking
Survey, April 17 – May 19, 2013. N=2,252 adults ages 18+. Interviews were
conducted in English and Spanish and on landline and cell phones. The margin of
error for results based on all adults is +/- 2.3 percentage points.

12. Smartphone ownership over time
% of all U.S. adults who own…

13. Smartphone ownership, by age
% within each group who own a smartphone
Own a smartphone
All adults (n=2,252)
Age
a
18-24 (n=243)
b
25-34 (n=284)
c
35-44 (n=292)
d
45-54 (n=377)
e
55-64 (n=426)
f
65+ (n=570)
56%
79cdef
81cdef
69def
55ef
39f
18
Source: Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project, April 17-May 19,
2013 Tracking Survey. Interviews were conducted in English and Spanish and on
landline and cell phones. Margin of error is +/-2.3 percentage points based on all
adults (n=2,252).

14. Part Three: Social Media Use

15. How many adults use social media?
• 72% of online adults use a social
networking site, representing more
than half of the entire adult population
in the U.S.
• Young people are the heaviest users of
social networking sites (SNS).
• Facebook is still the dominant
platform, but users are increasingly
diversifying their social media
portfolios.

16. SNS use by age group, 2005-2013
% of internet users in each age group who use social networking sites

17. Twitter use by age group, over time
% of adult internet users in each age group who use Twitter

18. Motivations for social networking use
• For adults ages 50+ staying
in touch with family is the
#1 reason they use SNS
• For adults under age 50,
staying in touch with friends
is more important

19. Part Four: Health Info Seeking

20. Chronic Conditions vs. Health Info Seeking
% of all adults, by age
80
70
75
72
67
60
65
60
50
Living with 1+ chronic condition
40
Looks online for health info
34
30
20
30
20
10
0
18-29
30-49
50-64
65+

21. Health Topics, by Age
% of all adults who have ever looked online for information about various health topics, by age
Age
All Adults
18-29 30-49 50-64
65+
N=3,014
N=478 N=833 N=814 N=830
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Specific disease or medical problem
45
50d
52cd
45d
23
Certain medical treatment or procedure
35
38d
43cd
34d
19
Health insurance, including private insurance,
Medicare or Medicaid
20
24cd
25cd
18d
10
Pregnancy and childbirth
10
24cde
12de
1
0
Food safety or recalls
16
17d
22de
14d
7
Drug safety or recalls
13
14d
17d
13d
4
Medical test results
12
12d
14d
14d
5
How to lose weight or control your weight
22
31de
28de
16d
6
How to reduce health care costs
9
10d
12d
9d
3
Caring for an aging relative or friend
12
12d
15d
11d
4
Drug you saw advertised
13
15d
14d
14d
6
Any other health issue
17
17d
21d
17d
8

22. Consulting reviews and rankings online, by age
% of internet users within each age group who consulted online reviews or rankings for the following subjects
Source: Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project, August 7-September 6, 2012
Survey. N=3,014 adults and the margin of error is +/- 2.6 percentage points for internet users.

23. Caregivers and “Information Triage”
Four in ten adults in the U.S. are caring for an adult or child with
significant health issues, up from 30% in 2010.
• 59% of caregivers with internet access say that online
resources have been helpful to their ability to provide care
and support for the person in their care.
• 52% of caregivers with internet access say that online
resources have been helpful to their ability to cope with the
stress of being a caregiver.

24. Part Five: An Invitation

25. data
www.pewinternet.org

26. Where we live: Pew Internet
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/pewinternet;
@pewinternet
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pewinternet
• Tumblr: http://pewinternet.tumblr.com/
• Slideshare: http://www.slideshare.net/PewInternet
• Google+:
https://plus.google.com/115622082336717197010/
posts
• YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/user/PewResearchCenter

27. Thank you!
Email: mmadden@pewinternet.org
Twitter: mary_madden
Web: