18% Of UK Seniors Now Using Facebook

Older people in the UK are more open to the use of social media than many of us probably think. While they are not as enthusiastic about appearing on social networks as their children or grandchildren, the pace of adoption is definitely speeding up, eMarketer says in a new report, titled UK Seniors: Digital on Their Own Terms.

Facebook is the social platform where the largest number of UK seniors can be found, used by 18% of consumers aged 65 or over, an earlier survey from Kantar Media and market research firm TNS Omnibus revealed. Other social media channels, however, appeared to be less popular with older generations and usage was significantly lower. For instance, only 6% of Brits aged 65 or older have accounts on Google+, while LinkedIn and Twitter are used by a respective 4% and 3% of the demographic.

Though the largest share of senior social media users have Facebook accounts, the level of adoption is still one of the lowest when compared to other age groups. According to eMarketer, seniors’ Facebook penetration index will reach 52.2 this year, which is slightly more than half the national average, before climbing to 57.6 in 2017. Despite seeing the highest growth rate among age groups, penetration will be still the lowest of any demographic, according to the research.

In the case of Twitter, 6.1% of Brits aged 65+ plan to start using the network in 2014, which will translate into an index of 24.5. In 2017, Twitter’s index will rise to just 34.6, eMarketer predicts.

To gain deeper insights, please read our article ‘Facebook Loses Out To Twitter As Teens’ Favourite Social Platform‘.