The Graying of Facebook

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Boomer Links

The graying of Facebook has been under way for some time, but it really accelerated this year. Baby Boomers are crashing the party of this online hangout that began in 2004 for college students.

During the first half of 2009, the number of people in their 50s on the site "more than doubled," notes Facebook spokeswoman Brandee Barker. Membership on the social network site of U.S. users age 55-plus shot up 25%, to 7.3 million, in the one-month period ending August 4, according to Washington researcher iStrategyLabs, which collects data Facebook gives to advertisers. That's more than triple the rate of growth for all U.S. users on the site in the same period.

Older Facebook users now represent about 10% of the total 77.7 million registered with the site in the U.S., according to iStrategyLabs data. Older members find the site a convenient way to rekindle bygone friendships. But will younger users flee Facebook when they realize mom and dad might be peering over their shoulders?

Source: BUSINESSWEEK, September 7, 2009

Come to the carnival where approximately 12 participating blogs focus on Baby Boomer issues from health to midlife crisis to finance and travel. As the boomer generation's 60s become the new 40s, this week's boomer-centric articles document newsworthy happenings in their lives.