Think new media and social networking are just for young people?

Think again.

Market Research firm The NPD Group reports that online activities once mainly popular with teens and young adults are now getting active participation by baby boomers, too:

• 61 percent of baby boomer Internet users (age 44 to 61) had visited sites that offer streaming or downloadable video (e.g., YouTube and TV network Web sites
• 41 percent had visited social networks (e.g., Linked-In, Facebook, and MySpace)
• Although young Web users (13- to 34-year-olds) are significantly more likely to visit social networking sites, baby boomers who visited social networking Web sites did so an average of 8 times over the previous three months.
• Baby boomers who engage in activities, like social networking or video streaming, are also more likely to buy DVDs, CDs and go out to the movies.
• Baby boomers who stream video are also 15 percent more likely than their non-streaming counterparts to buy a CD, DVD, or movie tickets.

 

Boomers’ Attention Moving Online

“There’s an ongoing misperception that certain Web activities are the exclusive domain of young people,”said Russ Crupnick, entertainment industry analyst for The NPD Group. “That misperception could cost the entertainment industry, in terms of lost opportunities to target valuable consumers.”

“As more consumers of all ages spend more time online, there’s potentially going to be less time for them to consume entertainment content in traditional ways,” Crupnick said. “These findings underscore the growing need for entertainment companies to promote and distribute digital entertainment content online, in order to keep pace with the changing needs and desires of consumers of all ages.”

Image: LexnGer

According to the latest MusicWatch consumer surveys from The NPD Group, Apple is again the top music retailer in the US.

The five leading music retailers in the U.S. for the first half of 2008 (January through June, based on purchases of CDs and a-la-carte digital music downloads) are:

1. iTunes
2. Wal-Mart (Walmart, Walmart.com, Walmart Music Downloads)
3. Best Buy (Best Buy, Bestbuy.com, Best Buy Digital Music Store)
4. Amazon (Amazon.com, AmazonMP3.com)
5. Target (Target and Target.com)

NPD’s data reflects the ongoing consumer shift from physical CDs to digital music, as iTunes maintained their leadership position reached earlier this year. Amazon rose from fifth place to fourth primarily for two reasons: first, online CD sales have seen less erosion than CD sales at brick-and-mortar stores; and second, Amazon launched its digital music store, Amazon.mp3, last year.

“We expect Apple will consolidate its lead in the retail music market, as CD sales continue to slow,” said Russ Crupnick, entertainment industry analyst for The NPD Group. “Amazon’s CD buyers tend to be older, so they haven’t abandoned the CD format to the extent seen in the average music buyer. Plus Amazon’s successful introduction of its digital download store will help the company improve its position in the future.”