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Over 50s dominate new web audience

As ever more Brits connect to the World Wide Web, one of the growing age groups is the over 50s - causing a surge in demand for net services catering to older users. A new study by the UK Online Measurement Company (UKOM) found that Britain’s internet audience rose from 36.9 million last year to 38.8 million in May, with more than half of these newcomers being aged 50 or older. The new arrivals also consisted of more men than women, with men over 50 accounting for 38 per cent of the 1.9 million new users. “The internet is getting older in more ways than one,” Alex Burmaster told BBC News on behalf of UKOM. “Not only is the medium itself maturing, but the audience is shifting towards older age groups.” Over-50s now account for 31 per cent of the UK’s total online audience. The largest user base is those aged 35 to 49 - exceeding 25 per cent of the total audience - and the findings also revealed a marked difference between men and women, as seen below. “There is a still a perception that the net is youth-centric but this is clearly not the reality,” Mr Burmaster explained. The research company identified a wide range of sites of particular appeal to the older generation, including community, fashion, genealogy, travel and video sites

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Over 50s dominate new web audience