"Senior" Internet Gap is Smallish, Will Disappear

Some 60 percent of U.S. seniors are online, according to Forrester Research. While they trail behind younger generations when it comes to device ownership and online usage, their usage of apps is not dramatically different from younger demographics or Internet users as a whole. 


The other problem is that "seniors" comprise a relatively smaller portion of the total U.S.population than you might think. Millennials and Generation X represent 46 percent of the total U.S. population. Younger boomers between 45 and 54 represent about 20 percent. Most people would not consider people in that age bracket to be "seniors."


Those 55 to 63 represent about 13 percent. You might, or might not, consider these people to be the "seniors" who don't understand or want to use the Internet. But think about whether you actually know many people that age who do not use the Internet. Many of us cannot think of anybody we actually know, in that age bracket, that does not use the Internet. 


Most might agree that people 64 and above qualify as "seniors." But all those people, at any age 64 or older, represent about 18 percent, in total. 


At some point, there will might not be many significant differences in Internet usage, in any demographic. Someday, all Millennials will be seniors.