SA seniors adopt social media
INTERNET
| Sept. 5, 2012, 2:17 p.m.
Study findings released this week by SA research house World Wide Worx finds that over-60s are fast discovering the benefits of social media. Between August 2011 and August 2012, the number of over-60 year-olds using facebook grew 44%, compared to less than 30% in those aged 30 – 60, less than 20% for those aged 19 to 30 and less than 10% for teenagers.
World Wide Worx MD Arthur Goldstuck says this is an indication that facebook is going mainstream in SA.
At the end of August, 5.33-million South Africans were using facebook, 2,43-million were on Twitter and 9,35-million on Mxit. Around 6.8-million people access facebook on their phones.
LinkedIn has grown substantially, but at a slightly lower rate, to reach 1,93-million South Africans. Both facebook and Twitter have crossed the urban/rural divide, the report said, with the number of rural users having grown to the level urban users were 18 months ago.
The survey also found that WhatsApp has become the leading instant messaging tool among South Africans aged 16 and over, living in cities and towns, with a user base of 4,6-million.
