Did you know that today’s seniors are spending almost 300 hours a year on social media? Let’s dive into some fascinating insights!
According to recent research conducted by OnePoll and commissioned by ClearMatch Medicare, American seniors aged 65 and older are spending a significant amount of time on social media, averaging around 300 hours per year.
This finding challenges the notion that social media is solely the domain of younger generations.
According To New Poll, Seniors’ On Social Media Spend 300 Hours a Year
The survey, which involved 2,000 seniors who use social media, delved into their usage patterns and habits. It revealed that on average, these seniors dedicate approximately 47 minutes each day to various social media platforms.
Remarkably, nearly a quarter of respondents spend over an hour daily scrolling through social media content.
The data also shed light on seniors’ platform preferences, with Facebook leading the pack at 75% usage, followed by YouTube (28%) and Instagram (10%).
The motivations for their online presence vary, with 54% using social media to pass the time, while 61% use it to reconnect with friends and 58% to stay in touch with loved ones. Surprisingly, 39% of seniors reported making new friends through social media.
Beyond socializing, social media offers educational benefits for seniors, with 63% acknowledging that they’ve learned something new from these platforms that proved useful in their lives.
Additionally, 35% of seniors view social media as a reliable source for staying informed about current events, while 32% use it to seek out information.
Notably, seniors exhibited a keen interest in specific content categories, with health-related topics ranking highest at 46%, followed closely by food-related content (43%), entertainment (36%), and politics (33%).
However, skepticism remains prevalent, as 60% of seniors believe that social media is only a trustworthy source of information on occasion.
The survey also highlighted a concerning trend, as 20% of seniors admitted to lacking a strong understanding of how to safely navigate social media platforms.
Furthermore, seniors expressed varying levels of trust in the accuracy of the information they encounter online, with the average senior estimating that only 43% of the information they come across is true.
Misinformation and scams have posed significant challenges to seniors online, with 34% reporting that they’ve been misled by a source they previously trusted, and 33% falling victim to scams in the past.
Scams primarily target seniors online (66%) and through phone calls (31%), affecting them financially (36%), compromising personal information (17%), and even endangering their health (9%). On average, seniors reported losing $2,700 to scams.
Despite these pitfalls, seniors have also exhibited resilience, as 62% of respondents claimed to have identified scams on social media without becoming victims themselves.
Common scams included individuals impersonating financial institutions (38%), offering deceptive “free” incentives in exchange for personal information (33%), and posing as healthcare providers (22%).
In light of these findings, Ben Pajak, CEO of ClearMatch Medicare, emphasized the growing complexity of online scams and the importance of exercising caution when encountering enticing offers.
Seniors are increasingly aware of the challenges posed by misinformation and scams, but there remains room for improvement in their ability to navigate the digital landscape safely and discern the credibility of online information.
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