silversurfer

One of a demographic group of Internet users aged 45 to 65. The importance of silversurfers as a group was uncovered in a report, conducted by Internet analysts Media Metrix, monitoring Internet trends during 1999. The report showed, surprisingly, that silversurfers comprised some 20% of online users compared to 17% for those aged 18 to 24. Not only were there more seniors surfing but they surfed for longer periods of time, more frequently, and more widely than their younger counterparts. These figures exploded a popular myth that the over 50s were a generation that technology had bypassed. Instead, online business began to pay attention to the needs of this high-spending demographic group. This explained the rise in Web sites aimed specifically at silversurfers, such as Senior.com in the USA and Vavo.com in the UK.