The Top Social Media Influencers Over 65

Every year, the older generation continues to prove that 65 is the new 30. Defying expectations from those younger than them, those over 65 use social media more every year. As of February 2021, 45% of people aged 65 or older say they use some form of social media, from Facebook to Twitter to TikTok. And while the older generation gets more tech-savvy every day, like a fine wine, their influence on the world gets better with age.

Although seniors may still use their mobile devices to FaceTime with their family or enroll in insurance, these days, their Instagram and Facebook feeds also occupy much of their screen time. Who are they watching, and how are they engaging with them? The experts at MedicareHealthPlans.com wanted to know which influencers over 65 were taking over the social world. They also wanted to understand how today’s seniors participate in social media. Whether you’re part of the 45% that uses social media or not, these results may give you an insight into the world of “granfluencers” and social media as a whole.

You Get an Influencer, and You Get an Influencer!

The entertainment industry has a strong influence on the general public, from movies to music and everything in between. Unsurprisingly, actors and musicians dominated this list of “granfluencers” on social media. Check out which names over 65 influence the online community the most based on their follower count. You never know—you may find someone you’d like to subscribe to.

Survey Says…

We also wanted to know just how social-media-savvy people over 65 were and what media they frequently visited. Are they mostly keeping tabs on their family through Facebook and Instagram? Maybe they’re looking for new dance trends on TikTok the most. Are they getting their daily news from Twitter or YouTube? Here’s what we found out from the boomers on social media.

• Over 54% of seniors over 65 consider themselves at least “pretty good” at using social media. They feel comfortable posting photos and commenting on posts without any help. They also feel that other family members and friends feel the same way about their social media expertise.
• A whopping 84% of those 65 and older use social media no more than 3 hours a day. Nearly 61% don’t feel like they need social media, citing they would rather spend their time with their friends and family in person than online.
• It may come to no surprise that nearly 77% of our respondents said they use Facebook the most out of the social media platforms we included in our survey (Instagram, Twitter, TikTok). Another 72% say they prefer Facebook Messenger as their messaging app of choice. Makes sense, since 46% said what they like most about messaging apps is the ability to connect with old friends from a long time ago.

Methodologies

Infographic

We searched in places like Ranker and FamousBirthdays.com to find those over 65 years old with a high social following. We used socialblade.com to quantify their followings across all major social media platforms. We organized the people by age and total social following and created our infographic accordingly.

Survey

We surveyed 1000 people over 65 years old and asked them about their social media usage, including why and how they use social media.

Never “Too Old” For Social Media

Many seniors use social media today, looking for the latest recipes on YouTube or finding new hobbies on TikTok. And while the numbers show that those influencing them may be on a different planet in Hollywood, it’s no secret that their names, images, and likenesses can profoundly impact the everyday social media consumer. 

Traversing social media is not the only way seniors have shown they are tech-savvy. Many seniors find doing things online a lot easier than going into a store, whether they’re shopping for Medicare or a new pair of slacks. The online presence of those over 65 is growing, and much like recent retirees, they don’t seem to be slowing down.