Stories about technology for technology’s sake are fun, but what about stories that tell us how *people* are utilizing tech?  Those are the good ones, in my opinion 🙂

According to Mashable, more than half of American seniors are online doing activities such as checking email, surfing the web and utilizing social media sites.

The Pew Internet and American Life Project conducted s survey that shows 53% of those aged 65 and older reported being online in some sort of way. Seniors are also adopting mobile phones to a high degree with 70% owning a mobile device.

What percentage of older Americans are on social networking sites? According to Pew, 34% of those 65 or older use Twitter or Facebook with 18% of them logging on each day.

What the numbers mean

It’s no surprise to me that older Americans are getting online at higher rates. From the sample of seniors I have in my life, the fact that everyday life is seeping online is forever present. Think about it: we score dining deals on Groupon, plan our travel and even do banking online. It’s more difficult to be offline now than it is to be online and seniors are in the mix too.

Also, the barrier of entry into computing has never been lower. You can buy a very will equipped laptop for a mere $300 these days or acquire an iPad if you want an easier device to get online with.

As an example, my in-laws (not seniors but close :)) just acquired an iPad and are online for hours each day as a result. They check the weather, surf the news and get advice on places to eat and dine with their iPad – each and every day.

Are the seniors in your life online?

photo credit: Neighborhood centers