Over 35, or under 35?
© Kamila Piech
I received a comment from a reader of this blog telling me that many people over 35 are not Internet savvy and wouldn't know how to set up a MySpace account. The World Wide Web started to become popular around 1995, I think. Someone who's 35 now would have been 22 then and, I believe, very interested in trying out this new media.
Computers had been a part of my life ever since elementary school, and I'm over 35. In my first "real" job I worked with computers all the time. I was first introduced to the Internet in 1996 and became enthralled with it. I even belonged to parenting groups when my kids were small. I consider myself pretty Internet savvy.
Granted, many of my friends have just found the benefits of the Internet in the past few years, but most of the people I chat with online are over 35. Very few of my online friends are younger than 30.
How many of you social networkers out there are over 35? How many are younger? I'm very interested to find out.
~admin
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not 35.. but recently turned 33 and I am pretty internet savvy. Guess its because I’m a geek at heart..
However, didn’t start using PCs till I was about 21. Then headed to University when I was 25..
39! And I help clients with their Web 2.0, social networking strategy as my day job.
Age is not the issue — it’s whether you’re interested in the subject matter or not.
Ahhhh … 45 and I could code a MySpace knockoff site. What I’ve seen of
I’m 35 and I have been a computer user from the age of 8… but not the programmer kind – just a user. Now I run an ad network on facebook called Zohark (http://zohark.com).
Social networking, from my perspective, are pretty easy for for the 35+ demo to get a handle on.
I am 31, but as you rightfully mentioned, i chat with and connect to people much older than i am. I am of your beleif that the research is not doing justice to the older demographics who might be slower to catch on, but will eventually catch on just like the millenials. The key to success in the older demographics is relevance and niche. This is what i beleive anyways. I have recently started a blog that is starting to look at these issues as well–moreso from a business perspective(http://sonetapps.blogspot.com). Your comments woudl be greatly welcomed!!
I’m only 21, and although I can’t remember ever not having a computer at home and always having internet access at school, I did not start using the internet heavily until 2005 when I went to college. Most of the sites I wanted to visit were blocked at school and my mom was always watching over my shoulder at home, so I just didn’t bother. That gives Linda nearly 10 years on me as far as internet experience goes. However, I think the difference between the over-35ers and the under 35-ers is the difference between being a digital immigrant and a digital native. I’d be considered a native, whereas Linda and the other commenters would be immigrants, regardless of how long they have used the internet, since it was introduced after they first began using computers. I agree with John Carson, it is an over-35er’s choice (and challenge) to be savvy and keep up with technology and that makes all the difference.
I’m 39, and a woman and mother and totally online and social, because I lived in the SF Bay area, I’ m sure. I’m social but in a selective way. Ie, I reluctantly signed up to Facebook recently to keep in touch with a distant friend because I don’t really appreciate the ‘spirit’ behind this mega network. I don’t need to have hundreds of friends online, nor do I need to know what they’re ll doing all day ( I’m too busy for that) and I want privacy with my data.
So I network on smaller, focused social nets, or I create mini nets through Yahoo groups, with like minded people on various topics.
I’d love to have some stats but my guess is about 30% of social networkers are over 35.
My business is to design the social nets for the more discriminating over 35 crowd, with a focus on niche markets.