A study conducted by the Pew Research Center Internet & American Life Project reveals some surprising and some not-so-surprising differences between younger and older Americans in their use the Internet. Based on survey data from mid-2010 and released in December, the study is similar to one conducted by the Center last year. It may come as no surprise that Internet use continues to grow, that Americans under 34 continue to be the majority of Internet users, or that the percentage of those users exceeds their proportion of the adult population. What may be surprising however, is that the percentage increases in activities like social networking and blogging are greater with older Americans than younger ones. These changes in Internet use will undoubtedly help shape the American workplace.

The study compared the activities of six cohorts of Americans. Those cohorts, their birth years and their proportion of the adult population are:

A growing number of adult Americans are going online. In 2009, 74% did so, but that figure rose 6% in 2010. Of those under 64, no fewer than 76% now use the Internet, and usage among Millenials rises to 95%.

Social Networking.  As Pew reports, “younger adults are by far the mostly likely group to use social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace or LinkedIn – 83% of adults 33 and younger use them.” But social networking by older generations has increased dramatically. Younger Boomers’ use increased 150% in the past two years. Use among Older Boomers jumped 370%, and among adults 74 and older, it rose a whopping 400%.

Blogging.  Of the 79% of adult Americans who go on line, roughly 1 out of every 7 blog, up from 1 in 9 just two years ago. A substantially higher percentage of Millenials (18%) and GenXers (16%) write blogs than do Younger Boomers (11%), Older Boomers (11%), Silent Generation (8%), and the GI generation (5%). However, while blogging has generally decreased by 10% during the past years, it has been increasing 60% for GenX, 83% for Younger Boomers, and 57% for Older Boomers.

With all generations blogging, is anyone reading those blog entries? The answer is yes. Although, a substantially higher percentage of Millenials (43%) and GenXers (34%) read blogs, roughly 1 of 4 of Younger Boomers, Older Boomers, and the Silent Generation do so also.  

Broadband & Wireless.  Nearly 2 of every 3 Americans now have a broadband Internet connection at home. For Millennials, that figure increases to 81%, which is somewhat higher than Gen X (73%) and Younger Boomers (68%).

But broadband is not the only way American adults connect to the Internet. Nearly 60% go online wirelessly. But 82% of Millennials and 71% of Gen Xers do, as compared to only 9% of the GI Generation.

Implications for the Workplace.  There are several takeaway lessons of the Pew study for employers:

• For Millennials, now in the early years of their careers, social networking is nearly universal. Millenials, and all others whose social networking is on the rise, are likely accessing their networks during the working day, underscoring the importance of implementing appropriate policies governing social networking and other online activities.
• Younger workers are much more likely to be blogging and reading blogs than older workers. But that is changing, as the number of older bloggers increases. Some workers already are providing, acquiring and exchanging work-related information through that medium. If these trends continue, more workers – and more older workers – will increase their blogging activity in the future. This makes it imperative for employers to recognize that blogs are likely to be communications media that provide opportunities and create dangers for employers as:
  • Tools for teaching workers and being taught by them;
  • Barometers of morale;
  • Vehicles of disparagement of the company and its products and services; and
  • Vehicles of defamation and harassment of, and discrimination and retaliation against, employees by current or former employees;
  • Broadcasters of company trade secrets and other confidential information.
• The younger the worker, the more likely he or she is to be bypassing an employer’s computer system to go online wirelessly. As a result, policies concerning the use of social media in the workplace need to be broad enough to cover wireless devices, including those that belong solely to employees.
• The time-worn stereotypes about the lack of familiarity, facility and interest in technology among older workers are becoming even more outdated and should be discouraged even more strongly by employers.