Baby boomers are increasingly viewing online entertainment. However, they're not yet giving up traditional media.
Currently, 61 percent of people ages 44 to 61 are visiting video streaming or downloading Web sites and 41 percent have tried social networking, according to a recent study by the NPD Group, a marketing research organization.
Baby boomer online destinations include YouTube and network TV sites, as well as the social networking sites Linked In, Facebook, and MySpace.
Younger people ages 13 to 34 visit social networking sites most frequently, but baby boomers visited these sites an average of eight times over the last three months, the study reports.
In addition, these older Web video users are 15 percent more likely than non-streaming/downloading baby boomers to buy DVDs, CDs, or movie tickets.
That 61 percent seems awfully high. I spend nearly 80 percent of my time online–but none of it looking at online entertainment. I’d like to know more specifics about who they polled and what these boomers are watching.
Hi Beverly,
The news release about the study doesn’t say how often the 61 percent boomers who visited sites offering streaming or downloadable video did so. The number for boomers visiting social Web sites was eight times in the previous three months.
I do a significant amount of Internet research. Although I don’t use YouTube everyday, I do go to YouTube when I see a link to it related to a topic I’m working on.
In relation to who was interviewed, the news release says: Data was based on a sample of more than 11,000 consumers, and results were balanced to reflect the Internet-connected U.S. population aged 13 and older.
Thanks for your comment.
Rita