Ninety Percent of People Under-35s in the UK are Using Social Media, Says ONS Survey

Nine out of ten people under the age of 35 in the UK are now using social media sites, according to a new survey conducted by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The survey says the number of Instagram users in age group 65+ has increased immensely, and now 25% of the people over-65s are using social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook. Older people are mostly using internet to share their pictures and keep in touch with family and friends.

According to ONS, social media use is rising fastest amongst the elderly and middle-aged people.

In the age group 55-64s, more than half of the people are now using social networking sites. Comparatively, about 66% of the people aged 45 to 54 are now on a social network.

“We know that over one million people can go for a month at a time without speaking to anybody and social media is a place which can help alleviate loneliness among older people.” said Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK.

“However while having a Facebook page and engaging with your family and friends online goes someway to providing human interaction, it will never be able to replace the conversations you have in the real world.”

The study also reveals that increasing number of people are now using internet on a mobile device.

About 82% of adults in the UK are now using the internet every day (or almost every day). In 2015, this figure was at 78% and at 35% a decade ago. More people are now using a mobile device to go online. About 75% of UK adults use their phones, tablets or laptops to access internet. In age group 16-24, ninety seven percent of those going online use their handset or notebook.

Eighty-nine percent of the UK homes now have an internet connection, up 3% from last year.

The research also found that 77% of the people surveyed had done online shopping to buy mostly clothes and sporting equipment.

“Regular internet use continues to rise, with more than 8 in 10 people going online almost every day in 2016. However, many older people are still to catch up with the digital revolution, with nearly half of single pensioners still having no internet access at all.” said Kate Davies, of the Surveys and Economic Indicators Division, ONS.