Comments on: Digital Generation? Latest Breakdown of Web Users By Age Group http://digital-scholarship.org/digitalkoans/2006/03/18/digital-generation-latest-breakdown-of-web-users-by-age-group/ What Is the Sound of One E-Print Downloading? Wed, 07 Dec 2011 23:22:11 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Charles http://digital-scholarship.org/digitalkoans/2006/03/18/digital-generation-latest-breakdown-of-web-users-by-age-group/comment-page-1/#comment-151 Charles Mon, 20 Mar 2006 18:38:53 +0000 http://digital-scholarship.org/digitalkoans/?p=146#comment-151 Walt: The article doesn't indicate how the age data was gathered. The data sources seem to be reputable, and the Wall Street Journal seems like a credible publication. But, I agree that it is a mystery how the age data where gathered. Walt:

The article doesn’t indicate how the age data was gathered. The data sources seem to be reputable, and the Wall Street Journal seems like a credible publication. But, I agree that it is a mystery how the age data where gathered.

]]> By: walt http://digital-scholarship.org/digitalkoans/2006/03/18/digital-generation-latest-breakdown-of-web-users-by-age-group/comment-page-1/#comment-150 walt Mon, 20 Mar 2006 16:58:43 +0000 http://digital-scholarship.org/digitalkoans/?p=146#comment-150 Charles: I wonder about that too, and what I particularly wonder is how reliable these figures are--how we "know" how old web users are. I can't think of more than half a dozen sites where I've given my age, and then almost always on secure pages. That's what I suggested in passing by "people ages 25-34 (and maybe people ages 18-24) are less inclined to make their ages known when on the internet. Probable? No. Possible? Yes. Also note that I could be incorrect in leaving 0-5 year olds out of the under 17 bracket. I'm pretty confident about 0-1 year olds, but there are certainly 3-5 year old kids who can read and type well enough to use the internet...that would reduce the percentages. Charles: I wonder about that too, and what I particularly wonder is how reliable these figures are–how we “know” how old web users are. I can’t think of more than half a dozen sites where I’ve given my age, and then almost always on secure pages.

That’s what I suggested in passing by “people ages 25-34 (and maybe people ages 18-24) are less inclined to make their ages known when on the internet. Probable? No. Possible? Yes.

Also note that I could be incorrect in leaving 0-5 year olds out of the under 17 bracket. I’m pretty confident about 0-1 year olds, but there are certainly 3-5 year old kids who can read and type well enough to use the internet…that would reduce the percentages.

]]> By: Charles http://digital-scholarship.org/digitalkoans/2006/03/18/digital-generation-latest-breakdown-of-web-users-by-age-group/comment-page-1/#comment-149 Charles Sat, 18 Mar 2006 19:25:34 +0000 http://digital-scholarship.org/digitalkoans/?p=146#comment-149 Walt: Thanks for the additional analysis, which does put a different spin on the numbers, especially for the 17-and-under-crowd. Still, I find it quite interesting that, in your analysis, the 18-to-24-year-olds remain dead last and the 25-to-34-year-olds remain next to last. Walt:

Thanks for the additional analysis, which does put a different spin on the numbers, especially for the 17-and-under-crowd. Still, I find it quite interesting that, in your analysis, the 18-to-24-year-olds remain dead last and the 25-to-34-year-olds remain next to last.

]]> By: walt http://digital-scholarship.org/digitalkoans/2006/03/18/digital-generation-latest-breakdown-of-web-users-by-age-group/comment-page-1/#comment-148 walt Sat, 18 Mar 2006 17:48:11 +0000 http://digital-scholarship.org/digitalkoans/?p=146#comment-148 While interesting on their own, those numbers would be more interesting as percentages. Looking at readily-available 2004 estimates (tricky, because the Census Bureau site I looked at doesn't split at 18), I see--assuming that 18 and 19 year olds account for 40% of those 15-19--and omitting the 0-5 year population as probably not representing much internet use: 1. 6-17: 74% of 41 million 2. 35-49: 65% of 65.2 million 3. 50+: 61% of 76.9 million 4. 25-34: 50% of 39.9 million 5. 18-24: 42% of 27 million So, by this metric, traditional college-age students do appear to be dead last, but the young'uns are the most avid users. Alternatively, people ages 25-34 don't make their ages known when on the internet... Us geezers are right in the middle. But there are a whole bunch of us geezers around. I would wonder how "unique web site visitors by age group" can be calculated, but that's another question. While interesting on their own, those numbers would be more interesting as percentages. Looking at readily-available 2004 estimates (tricky, because the Census Bureau site I looked at doesn’t split at 18), I see–assuming that 18 and 19 year olds account for 40% of those 15-19–and omitting the 0-5 year population as probably not representing much internet use:

1. 6-17: 74% of 41 million
2. 35-49: 65% of 65.2 million
3. 50+: 61% of 76.9 million
4. 25-34: 50% of 39.9 million
5. 18-24: 42% of 27 million

So, by this metric, traditional college-age students do appear to be dead last, but the young’uns are the most avid users. Alternatively, people ages 25-34 don’t make their ages known when on the internet…

Us geezers are right in the middle. But there are a whole bunch of us geezers around.

I would wonder how “unique web site visitors by age group” can be calculated, but that’s another question.

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