Survey: Older Americans looking to tech to stay connected

According to the Perion report:

• 84% of Boomers 'adopt new tech' if it fits their lifestyle
• 79% say technology is 'fun'
• Still, 88% consider themselves 'slow to adopt' new technology

"Tablets are easy to use and functional, so Boomers, who are traditionally later adopters of technology, are amongst the early users," said Adam Goodvach, Director of Customer Insights, Perion. "Understanding the psychological drivers of these 120 million potential consumer technology users will be key to ensuring uptake for technology companies. If it is pitched the right way, new products and services will be enthusiastically embraced. Keep it fun, simple and supportive of existing lifestyles, and boomers will give it a go."

The announcements of both Microsoft's and Google's entry into the tablet space is an indicator that tablets are going to be around - for consumers and for marketers - for a long time. Last week Google announced their Nexus 7 device - featuring a 7" screen and Android 4.1 OS.

Meanwhile, new data from Monetate indicates that tablets are infringing - a bit - on traffic, but that PCs are still the lead way people surf. Their data includes:

• 88% of website visits are PC based, a decline of nearly 5%
• Tablet traffic has increased 348% YoY
• PC-based surfers view as average of 12.05 pages per session
• Tablet surfers view 11.07 pages per session
• 45% of those visiting websites from Facebook 'bounce' - they visit that page and then exit the site

Tags: Baby Boomers, mobile marketing, Monetate, online traffic, Perion, tablet traffic, tablet trends