- Gen Zers are the most social-savvy generation. The social lives of this group of young adults are intertwined with social media. Not only do 84% of US online Gen Zers have a Facebook account, but they also have the largest social networks — with an average of 306 Facebook friends.
- Gen Yers lead in technology adoption and usage. Gen Yers own the most connected devices: More than seven in 10 have a smartphone, and a quarter own a tablet.
- Gen Xers are big spenders. The more than 46 million US consumers in this age group represent a truly high-value audience for companies. They have the highest average household income and spend the most money online of all age groups.
- Boomers are catching up with younger generations. Making up more than a third of the US adult online population, Boomers are a key audience that marketers focus on. That’s why it’s exciting to see that, over time, they are becoming more comfortable adopting new technologies. For example, their adoption of tablets has more than doubled since 2011 — expanding from 6% to 14%.
- The Golden Generation still lags behind. Consistent with 2011 findings, the Golden Generation sticks to “old” technologies: It is the generation most likely to own a desktop computer, and its members lag behind on ownership of laptops, smartphones, tablets, and many other devices.
79% of Americans who are online, more are accessing the Internet daily and for longer periods and interacting with brands more, according to Forrester.
Some 45% of people on social networks say they have interacted with a brand through social media over the previous three months. However, just 7% say they’ve followed a brand on Twitter and 7% say they’ve posted feedback on a company’s social networking profile.
Forrester’s Research, polled 58,068 US and 5,635 Canadian adults ages 18 to 88 in April and May.
“Gen Z” (consumers aged 18 to 23) on social networks, 56% have “Liked,” followed, or become a fan of a brand, product, or company, up from 41% in 2011. However, only only 3% of that group have spent any money on a social networking site during a recent visit.
However, members of the “Golden Generation” (consumers 68 and up) on social networks “Like” an average of three brands on Facebook. The average social networker “Likes” an average of nine brands.
Tablet adoption has more than doubled since 2011, for instance and the younger the consumer, the more likely he or she is to be online and engaging in social networks. The study notes that “with 71% of US online adults accessing social networking sites at least monthly, social media is also a normal part of everyday life.”
Research via Forrester
