Internet a breeze for over 50s surfers – survey

Internet a breeze for over 50s surfers – survey

A survey of 971 New Zealanders aged 50 plus has revealed high levels of confidence in shopping online, and high usage of popular social networking sites Facebook and YouTube.

Grownups.co.nz co-founder Richard Poole says the website’s annual survey found 98% of the website’s members found using the internet easy or very easy.

“Contrary to some views, older Kiwis are extremely confident when using the internet and this is demonstrated by the fact that 81% of our members regularly buy things online, with the vast majority of those feeling safe doing so.

“But the other 19% say they still prefer good old face to face interaction when making purchases.”

Mr Poole said the survey findings validated other research which showed that older age groups are embracing social networking sites just as quickly as their grandchildren.

“We already know that many of our members use the internet to stay in touch with family and make new friends. So it’s no surprise that 42% regularly use Facebook and 29% regularly use YouTube for this purpose.”

Checking email and looking for information were by far the most common uses for the internet amongst survey respondents, with searches relating to travel, health and hobbies the most popular.

54% of those surveyed said that when planning a holiday they used the internet to research and book their travel.

Most survey respondents also used the internet for fun and entertainment, with 59% regularly entering competitions and 46% playing online games.

Mr Poole said over-fifties were an attractive market for companies with products and services tailored for them and, with the survey showing that 93% of GrownUps members used a broadband connection, the internet was a good means of reaching them.

ENDS

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