The digital lives of younger and older Australians

The report examines the attitudes of young adults (aged 18 to 34) towards technology, including:

• the types of devices they use to access the internet
• the nature and extent of their online activities
• what they use to communicate
• how they consume entertainment online
• the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their online habits.

The findings paint a portrait of a generation who go online multiple times a day, are quick to adapt to new developments and eager to embrace digital innovation.

Particularly strong adopters of mobile technology, young people are connecting to the internet wherever they are and are using an increasing number of platforms and apps to do so.

Their reliance on digital technology across many aspects of life also accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic and their online activity increased more considerably than older Australians.

View information about the methodology used for the report.

This report examines how older people (aged 65 and over) access the internet, including:

• the types of devices they use
• what online activities they commonly engage in
• what they use to stay connected
• how they consume entertainment online
• the potential impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on their online habits
• their attitudes towards the growing influence of technology in their lives.  

The findings show that older people have undergone a significant shift in their digital habits. Compared to previous years, they are engaging in a broader range of online activities, more frequently and across different devices.

However, despite an increase in activities online, the attitudes of older people towards technology may not have shifted significantly. This suggests that their increased use of technology may have been out of necessity, rather than choice, as the digital environment continues to change.

View information about the methodology used for the report.

If you’re having trouble accessing the data in these reports, please contact us.