New wave of silver surfers: What they do online

Older people are now more active than ever on social media sites like Facebook and are increasingly turning to tablets and smartphones instead of computers, Ofcom figures show.

However, many who use Facebook and Twitter to share links and information admit to not fully reading the content beforehand.

The first generation of older surfers took to PCs because of the ease of using email to communicate with friends and family. But today’s over-60s also use it to read books, watch TV and share information, according to the regulator’s annual report on adults’ media use and attitudes.

It says that nearly half of “baby boomers” aged 65 to 74 now have a social media profile, as do 41 per cent of over 75s. In 2015 the figure stood at less than one in five.

The report noted “striking growth in older people’s use of technology between 2015 and 2016”, with four in 10 now using a smartphone, and more than a quarter of over 75s owning tablets.

A third of viewers aged 65-75 now use the internet to watch “catch-up” TV on platforms like the BBC iPlayer and subscription services such as Netflix and Now TV.

Other online services have yet to find an audience among older users, the report found. While one in five young adults used their phones for making “contactless” payments and to purchase bus and train tickets, almost no-one over 65 was doing so.

A similarly small number said they used government or local council websites for researching information about leisure activities, with the vast majority preferring Google and other search engines.

The study found that although older adults are more connected than ever, they spend less than half as much time online as younger users - some 15 hours a week for over-65s compared with 32 hours among 16 to 24 year-olds. Of the half of over-75s who choose not to go online, most said they had no plans to do so.

The report also revealed worrying trends on some types of content. Around 16 per cent of internet users over 55 - a higher proportion than any other age group - said they never considered the data or privacy implications when posting photos online.

While most internet users thought they could recognise advertising on websites, only half could tell which Google listings were adverts, and up to three-quarters did not realise that the adverts they saw had been personalised to their interests and that other people viewing the same content might see different adverts.

There was also concern over whether content on social media and video sharing sites was trustworthy, with many older users preferring to stay within “closed groups” on Facebook and other private networks.

However, social seniors appeared less prone than younger users to online bullying or “trolling”, with nearly three-quarters of over-65s reporting that they had seen nothing to offend or upset them in the last year.

Alison Preston, head of media literacy at Ofcom, said: “The UK’s older generation is beginning to embrace smart technology, and using it to keep in touch with friends and family.

“But some older people lack confidence online, or struggle to navigate search results. Many are new to the internet, so we’d encourage people to help older friends or family who need support getting connected.”