The Digital Jump: Info-Seeking Tech Stats You Need to See

In honor of the World Wide Web’s 25th birthday, we wanted to share some pretty shocking stats on just how the Internet, social media, and mobile apps are shaping the way Millennials and Boomers get their information. It’s no surprise that the groups’ use of these digital platforms is growing, but what is surprising is the rate at which they’re growing. Their behavior in the past year alone shows unmistakable trends that will change the way you look at digital marketing.

The following data was collected in the fourth quarters of 2012 and 2013. Participants’ main sources of information were examined.

The most staggering results pertained to mobile app use on tablets and smartphones. A 433% increase for Boomers (from 3% to 16% using apps as an information source) and 267% increase for Millennials (from 6% to 22%) were seen. Social media also showed significant growth, with Boomers and Millennials seeing increases of 146% and 186%, respectively. 91% of Millennials and 86% of Boomers now say they use the Internet as a main source of information (up from 78% and 75% in 2012).  These patterns are interesting on their own, but the short timeframe between the surveys makes them all the more noteworthy.

– Authored by Whitney Ryan

Whitney Ryan is a customer-focused marketer specializing in social media. She helps businesses build solid relationships with their consumer community to drive results through strategic social marketing.