Baby boomers didn't grow up with the Internet, but this youth-seeking generation has adopted it as a second home. Although only 35 percent of seniors 65 and older use the Internet, according to the Pew Internet and American Life Project, 70 percent of those ages 50 to 64 do. And this aging audience isn't satisfied with simply twittering and instant messaging.
A recent Forbes article says the 50-plus set is flocking to AARP.org and its news site launched in April, AARP Bulletin Today.
"AARP's finding there's gold to be mined from the silver set online. Since launching the news site and redesigning the flagship website, AARP.org, the number of unique visitors jumped from 1.7 million in March to 2.4 million in July. Time spent on the site increased from eight minutes before the launch to a super-sticky 29 minutes today. An AARP representative says 12 percent to 15 percent of that traffic is for Bulletin Today," Forbes reports.
Some 42 percent of Internet users 50 and older check the Internet for news daily, if not several times a day, an AARP and USC Annenberg School for Communication survey found. Boomers also browse retail stores and then buy online (68 percent), log into online communities at least once daily (58 percent), are involved in social activism (36 percent), and play games (18 percent).
Tell us, do you have any favorite websites for reading about retirement?
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Blogs of DC 3:00PM October 01, 2008
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