Adults’ Media Use and Attitudes Report 2014

Publisher: Ofcom
Subject: New Technology; Media literacy; Internet
Inactive: No
Description: Ofcom’s report report shows that the number of people aged 65 and over accessing the internet has risen by more than a quarter in the past year. The proportion of people aged over 65 that are accessing the web reached 42% in 2013, up nine percentage points from 33% in 2012. One reason for this is an increase in the use of tablet computers by older people aged 65-74 to go online, up from 5% in 2012 to 17% in 2013. This has helped to drive overall internet use up from 79% of all adults in 2012 to 83% in 2013. However, older people spend significantly less time surfing the web than younger people (16-24 year olds), who on average spend more than a whole day (24 hours 12 minutes) each week online, compared to an average 9 hours 12 minutes online per week among adults over 65. The research also reveals that watching TV continues to be the medium that adults say they would miss most (42%) if it was taken away. Young people aged 16-24 are more than three times more likely to choose their smartphone (47%) over TV (13%), while people over 65 say they would most miss watching TV (68%).

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