People and the Internet - Who Uses The Internet? By Age

We've seen that more than half of the American population goes online. Computers and technology are traditionally seen as the domain of the young. But is this true? This panel examines the Internet population by age.

The data above offer some keen insights into the online phenomenon. The fact that the data begin with preschoolers and toddlers speaks to how the Internet has come to dominate our lives: children go online both for educational and entertainment purposes and, accordingly, many online organizations have taken notice and focused their marketing efforts on children (for better or worse).

Those 24 years old and younger had high percentages of their age groups online. This age group does tend to be techno-savvy and its members use the Internet for research, entertainment, and communicating with friends. But those 25 years and older saw the most dynamic growth rates: people 50 and older are the fastest growing segment of the group.

The online population also roughly follows the demographics of the general population, as seen in the table below (statistics come from Mediamark Research). The median age of online users is slightly lower than is the median age of the population, although not by much: 39 years old vs. 43 years old.

General Population vs. Internet Population

Age	All U.S. Adults (%)	Online Users (%)
18-24	13	17
25-34	20	23
35-44	23	26
45-54	17	21
55-64	11	9
65 and over	16	4

Another way to carve up these numbers: from 1996 to 2000, the share of the online population 35 and older has increased from 52% to 62%; the share for 18-34 year-olds has fallen from 48% to 38%. According to A Nation Online, w hile 18-35 year-olds tend to use the Web more for entertainment, those 35 and above have a different agenda. Online banking, shopping, and gathering health information all ranked high on the list of their frequent activities (and keeping in contact with loved ones through e-mail, of course — this is every group's favorite activity).

Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration, National Telecommunications and Information Administration, A Nation Online: How Americans Are Expanding Their Use of the Internet, February 2002.