Six Million More Seniors Online

The number of surfing seniors is growing.

While people 65 and older still make up less than 10% of the active Internet universe, their numbers are on the rise, according to Nielsen.

In the last five years, the number of seniors actively using the Internet has increased by more than 55%, from 11.3 million in November 2004 to 17.5 million in November 2009. Even so, people 65 and older still make up less than 10% of people who use the Internet.

When broken down by gender, the growth of women in the last five years has outpaced the growth of men by 6%, Nielsen found.

These older people are also staying on for longer. Time spent on the Internet by seniors increased 11% in the last five years, from approximately 52 hours per month in November 2004 to just over 58 hours in 2009.

"The over 65 crowd represents about 13% of the total population and with this increase in online usage, they are beginning to catch up with their offline numbers," Chuck Schilling, research director, agency and media, Nielsen's online Division, said in a release. "Looking at what they're doing online, it makes sense they're engaged in many of the same activities that dominate other age segments - e-mail, sharing photos, social networking, checking out the latest news and weather—and it's worth noting that a good percentage of them are spending time with age-appropriate pursuits such as leisure travel, personal health care and financial concerns."