Older Americans Increasingly Drawn to Social Media

Washington, DC, October 9, 2015 -- Older Americans are increasingly turning to social media, and that could have an impact on how businesses market to retirees, according to the Pew Research Center.

Pew said social media use among Americans aged 65 and above has more than tripled since 2010.

Today, 35% of older Americans say they use social media, compared with just 2% in 2005 and 11% in 2010.

By contrast, usage by younger adults began to taper off in 2010.

Pew said that among adults aged 65 and over who have an Internet connection, the percentage using Facebook increased to 56% last year from 45% in 2013, while the percentage using Twitter doubled from 5% in 2013 to 10% in 2014.

Younger, higher-income seniors are nearly as active on the internet as the general population, Pew said.