Women Over the Age of 55 Are The Largest Growing Group on Facebook
Yesterday a CNN article revealed that there are now about 1.5 million female users older than 55 on the site – roughly a 550 percent increase over six months ago. By comparison, membership among people younger than 25 grew by less than 20 percent over the same period. The number of men over age 55 also grew dramatically, but women over 55 still outnumber men in this age group by almost two-to-one.
This is contrary to assumptions that many marketers and businesses make – that elderly people are not online and that elderly women are not involved in social media.
Why is this so important?
- senior women age 50 and older control a net worth of $19 trillion
- senior women own more than three-fourths of the nation's financial wealth
- women control 85% of all brand purchases
CNN solicited interaction and discussion from people 55 and older on their own Facebook Discussion Board asking why they were on Facebook. While "connecting with other people" was a response repeated over and over, this group ranging from 50 to 83-years-old seems to be enjoying all that Facebook has to offer.
I'm 65 and joined Facebook around two years ago. I would be lost without it. I use Facebook to keep connected with friends and family that are scattered everywhere. – Jinx Macgillivray
Reasons people 55 and older gave for being on Facebook and why they like it:
- To stay in touch with family all over the place
- Keep in touch with children
- To reconnect with people from high school and college
- To stay young
- Find it fascinating and enriching to interact with people
- Easy way to keep in touch with everyone
- Share photos
- Share silly humor and laugh
- Promote causes they believe in
- Make new friends
- Join specific groups for interests and discussions
- It is borderless, and genders and ages mix so freely
