BLOGS and social-networking sites are no longer the domain of young digital natives.
Increasingly, older people - armed with greater spending power - are going to such sites.
A global study by research firm Nielsen found that over two in three who use the Internet visit a social network or blog, and online communities are more popular than e-mail.
For example, the biggest growth in Facebook users was among those aged 35 to 49 - an increase of 24.1 million in a year.
"The changing audience offers advertisers the opportunity to use social networks as a vehicle to target all demographic groups," noted the report.
Media-industry experts said that while members of the younger generation are usually the innovators of socialmedia, the older ones are not far behind.
Media analyst Debbie Swee, from IT research firm IDC, said: "Facebook has reached a certain critical mass. Even older working adults are aware and willing to sign up."
Social-networking sites here, like Stomp and RazorTV, have been a part of the global trend.
Club Stomp, a social-networking site for Singaporean party-goers, has seen a slight increase - around 3 per cent - in the number of members aged 35 to 49 from February last year.
RazorTV news director Tracy Sua said: "We have received more feedback from older netizens on issues aired on RazorTV"
College lecturer Thomas Koo, 38, told my paper that keeping in touch with old friends was a big draw.
He said: "Though our generation's behaviour on Facebook may differ slightly from that of younger users, we still want to connect with old friends. Technology doesn't stop us."
