Silver surfers are savvy online shoppers

Across Europe, more and more silver surfers are logging on and exploring the Internet, according to recently released research from the European Interactive Advertising Association.

by Helen Leggatt

eiaa%20logo.gif The EIAA’s research has revealed that broadband penetration is having a huge effect on the use of the Internet by the over-55s. Over two-thirds, 68 percent, of all European silver surfers access the Internet via a broadband connection. In fact, broadband adoption for silver surfers (26 percent) is growing faster than average European Internet users (14 percent).

Silver surfers are savvy online shoppers, too. Thirty-eight percent use price comparison sites and nearly three-quarters have shopped online. Over half now do their banking and bill payments online.

And don’t for one moment think that the silver surfers aren’t embracing Web 2.0 and other Internet tools. The number of them signing up to forums is up 113 percent in the last two years and 18 percent frequent social networking sites, such as Bebo and MySpace, at least once a month.

"It is interesting to see the effect that increased broadband penetration is having on how silver surfers are communicating and spending their leisure time," said Alison Fennah of the EIAA. "There is huge growth in usage of online tools made popular by Web 2.0 and we expect this exponential growth to continue as the internet plays an even bigger part in the daily lives of this slightly older demographic."