24 responses to “Did you know – Over 35ers fastest growing Facebook demographic”

1. 

   Vincent Witzel February 11th, 2009 at 08:35

   I certainly like the idea of an iPhone app class – I have always been curious about how that works and there is a lot of money to be made in that. But a Facebook for Parents class?! It may be popular amongst parents, but is that really what this website has come to? Much worse than this, however, was making Facebook open to anybody – not because of my parents, but because of all the other weirdos and creeps that roam the internet. Sure, Zuckerberg thereby got himself a wider market appeal and could thus make more money from banner advertisements, but I really feel like the company didn’t stay true to its roots in doing so – they completely diverged from their original business model of being a social networking site for students, faculty, and staff and that’s a real shame.

2. 

   Casey Zeller February 11th, 2009 at 08:38

   It is amazing that people older than 35 are becoming such a important demographic for Facebook. Ironically, my group is researching Facebook for the success case that we will present in class. Although I thought I knew a great deal about Facebook, the company offers so much to its users. I find it odd that people over 35 would even want facebook, but I know many of them around this age want to see what their kids are doing. Facebook has its perks, but I would find it odd for my parents to have a page. I know it is not just for college students, but I just can’t see my parents messaging, poking, or uploading photos. This is still a very interesting statistic that shows where our society is progressing.

3. 

   Greg Bauman February 11th, 2009 at 09:48

   My team is also presenting Facebook as our success case tomorrow. This is very interesting, and something I haven’t seen before. When Facebook expanded to be open to everyone in 2007, it really opened up their market and helped them to continue to grow.

4. 

   Matthew DeRose February 11th, 2009 at 10:36

   I can believe this really. I have seen sort of lately that my parents are on Facebook along with my aunts and uncles. I guess this is good if one wants to stay in touch with relatives that live in different states.

5. 

   Tim Sutton February 11th, 2009 at 10:55

   Facebook period is a wonderful and fun networking service for peopleof all ages. I personally was hooked to facebook when I fist joined the program, and I still spend countless hours serfing my facebook account. I think that is a great idea for parents to be able to interact and network through facebbok.

6. 

   Stacia Hazzard February 11th, 2009 at 13:22

   I think it is weird to have parents have a facebook account. I think the reason why the age group that is most interested in it right now is 35 because parents and teachers what to see what their kids and students are doing. I personally am not a big facebook fan so I don’t see all the fuss over it. Tomorrow our group is presenting Facebook and why it’s successful. The information I have learned has helped me some to get to like Facebook better, but I’m still iffy on it.

7. 

   Spencer McKee February 11th, 2009 at 13:46

   When facebook first came out, I never thought it would ever attract adults at such a high rate. Then i found out that while i’ve been at college, both of my parents have created a profile and use it to talk to friends from college and high school, along with other family members. I was shocked they could even figure out how to put a picture up, let alone add friends and send comments.

8. 

   Andrew Sadler February 11th, 2009 at 14:31

   A large reason that the “Over 35ers” demographic is appearing on the Facebook map all of the sudden is because this is the most recent group that they opened Facebook to.

   When Facebook began at Harvard it was a very small network for that university, that was followed by 40 more universities, which then the rest followed. After that high school came into the picture, and now the parents.

9. 

   benkapps February 11th, 2009 at 16:18

   I think its a good idea sure, buut being a college student who has parents with facebook, its annoying having to watch what i say and what goes up on there becasue of their constant facebook “creeping” i think that adults should use another networking site and leave facebook to the college crowd. and whats up with companys looking at your facebook profile when applying for a job…..lame

10. 

    Allison Yeater February 11th, 2009 at 16:56

    I can definately relate to this topic personally. I have family all over the country and so far i have aunts, uncles, grandparents, and family friends all over 35 that have recently joined facebook. I personally really like it because it is easier to stay in contact with them this way. I know facebook originally targeted college age students but more and more older people are using it as a great networking device. I say, if they wanna utilize facebook with all it has to offer go ahead!

11. 

    Jongho James Lee February 11th, 2009 at 17:51

    I think this new idea has both benefits and nonbenefits. In terms of benefits, the company has found a new market place where they can gain benefits from new target audience. The new market shows potential and allows the company to expand and improve. On the other hand, some of the original target audience (teenagers) will not be satisfied to new changes that the company has brought. For example, they will not be able to have privacy from their parents.

12. 

    Madeline Wong February 11th, 2009 at 19:27

    I also was surprised that the over 35 age group is starting to make up such a large part of the facebook population. My parents and their friends have joined facebook and they think they’re very hip, my friends and I just humor them and let them think that. I can’t speak for everyone but I know that my parents are too technologically challenged to take full advantage of all that facebook offers. Writing on walls is a big step. It is nice though because it makes it much easier to keep in contact with family all over the country and the world.

13. 

    Corey Marsden February 11th, 2009 at 19:54

    My mother made a facebook account about a year ago. She doesn’t really know what she is doing but she has fun with it. I think it is a good way for parents to keep in touch with their kids once they leave home, but it is kind of weird knowing that your parents have access to your social life. It does keep my facebook profile very clean though, which is a good thing.
    Definitely a profitable market if they work it right.

14. 

    Susheel Motwani February 11th, 2009 at 20:50

    Speaking of iPhone app, there was a 9 year old kid from Singapore who recently made one and it already has 4000+ hits! He’s also fluent in SIX programming languages!

15. 

    Sikhanyisiwe Nkala February 11th, 2009 at 21:05

    When I read this article i got really excited because my parents and some of my friends parents have been telling us to make them facebooks. Now that there are opportunities for them to learn i believe this will be better.

16. 

    Breanna Ware February 11th, 2009 at 22:20

    The increase in this demographic does not surprise me. I have recently added two of my aunts and my grandmother as friends on facebook. It is a way for other generations to relate to ours. It also provides a new way of staying connected. For those reasons, the popularity of facebook amoung individuals over 35 is no shock to me.

17. 

    Sergio February 11th, 2009 at 22:44

    I think that facebook is way too well known for it to be used for anything other than fun and yet again…..I think that it is starting to become a tool for peeping toms and pedophiles to stock kids.

    Also, I personally cant see myself talking to company reps on there. I couldnt take it seriously. Another thing that I think is way wrong is for little middle school and high school kids to be on there. I find it annoying because they try to be everybody’s ‘friend’.

    Another thing that I find annoying about it is when people post pictures and comments and then expect other people to keep quiet about it and not judge them.

18. 

    Shaun Greene February 11th, 2009 at 22:47

    I believe facebook really is one of the quickest and easiest ways to stay in touch with friends you don’t see every day (and even ones you do). When I first got it (in 2005) I felt so cool to be in college and told my family about it. Now, we as college students have been the biggest advertisers for facebook to the 35+ generation.

19. 

    Kyle Maple February 11th, 2009 at 23:32

    Wow its funny tothink that the generation ahead of us is trying to catch up with us in our technology. It is kind of the same thing as my mom wanting to learn to text. Now she texts all the time. I guess I can see her getting a Facebook profile soon. I actually ate with her and her old college friend today, and her friend stated that she had recently gotten an account. I guess its pretty cool to see my parents generation reach back and grab somethings from mine.

20. 

    Felipe Burneo February 11th, 2009 at 23:33

    I think this type of initiatives are the things that make Stanford a world class university. This is a way to show that they are also concerned about the society in which the university is evolving.
    Nowadays most of the people that attend a university, high school or even lower levels of education are part of the Facebook community and it is sure a nice way to let parents know how to get into that world in which their children are evolving.

21. 

    Michelle Miller February 12th, 2009 at 00:00

    This is a good idea to give a class on how to use Facebook for the older generation. It is very strange to think though that so many older people around my parents age are getting Facebook. I think I would die the day my mom added me as a friend. I’m pretty confident though that she won’t ever go into the Facebook world so hopefully I don’t have to worry about that.

22. 

    Isaiah Johnson February 12th, 2009 at 11:57

    I think it’s good that parents are getting into facebook because it is a great way of communicating. However I don’t think that a class is necessary. My mom does not have internet and quite frankly does not care about new technology. She doesn’t even have texting! However, if my mom had an interest in facebook and wanted to use it, I would be more than glad to show her how. Parents should not have to take a class to learn how to use facebook. Their children should be willing and loving enough to help out their parents and show them whats up. The idea is good but from my perspective its a waste of time and money.

23. 

    Matt Holmes February 12th, 2009 at 12:27

    It definitely makes sense to me that over-35ers are the fasted growing demographic on facebook. Facebook is already practically ubiquitous among the younger demographic, and while this demographic will continue to grow, it will only grow for so long before people get old enough to bleed in to the 35 and over demographic. The fact that the original Facebook generation is now entering the job market encourages the people they work with, many of which are older, to get on facebook. Also, older family members are now starting to pop up more and more on facebook to keep in touch with their children, and eventually, business associates. I have seen both of these things first hand, as my co-workers over the summer started getting facebook and adding me, and recently my parents and extended family have gotten accounts.

24. 

    Amanda Jones February 16th, 2009 at 23:56

    The idea of creating a class for parents to learn about facebook is the “aspirin” to the “headache” as Cassidy would say. Parents always tell their kids that they wish they could go back to college and learn again and this gives them some independence to learn something their kids know but not being taught by their kids.