Older People Keen Users of Instant Messengers

Five million elderly people over 60 are active users of instant messengers like KakaoTalk and Line.

Seven out of every 10 Internet users in their 60s and more than 30 percent of users in their 70s are using messenger services, according to data released by the Ministry of Science, ICT, and Future Planning last week. They use messenger services both on smartphones and PCs.

The proportion of users over 60 has increased sharply, from 39.5 percent in 2013 to 72.3 percent this year. Even among 70-somethings the rate stands at 36.1 percent.

The ministry conducted the survey by interviewing 2.5 million households in 17 major cities. It also found that smartphones are rapidly replacing personal computers, with the rate of smartphone ownership standing at 86.4 percent this year.