Can you Skype? Bet your Dad can…

Far removed from the computer illiterate and technophobe stereotype, Britain’s mums and dads are becoming more Internet-savvy than their children according to a report out today from Birmingham Midshires.

Not only are the over-45s skype-ing (15%), VOiP-ing (13%) and popping up on MySpace, YouTube and Second Life (15%), they are driving the boom in online price comparison and e-griping. The findings come as Birmingham Midshires launches its first quarterly Life 2 report. Throughout 2007, Life 2 will examine different aspects of the lives of over-45s and will challenge traditional perceptions of this age group.

The report reveals that the notion of a traditional Silver Surfer – one who passively browses and clicks with caution – has been replaced with a new breed of mature Online Activist for whom the Internet is indispensable.

Taking a pragmatic and strategic approach to the Internet, Online Activists use the Internet as a life management and enhancement tool. Falling into five categories, E-Socialites, Info-Jockeys, Hunter Barterers, Micro-preneurs and Knowledge Traders are collectively linked by a common desire to save money, time and effort.

E-Socialites

This group accounts for 17% of the online over-45s. The e-Socialites can be found on networking websites such as myspace and match.com. For this group the Internet is all about contact, keeping in touch with friends and family, forming new relationships and sharing gossip.

Info-Jockeys

Accounting for around 7% of the over-45s, these ‘pragmatechies’ are the keenest to use tools such as Skype on their mobiles and are early adopters of tech tools they can use to enhance their work.

Hunter Barterers

Just under a third (31%) of the over-45s are Hunter Barterers. They are highly evolved consumers, using price comparison, peer recommendations and crowdsourcing sites like Crowdstorm.com to get the very best deals.

Micro-preneurs

This group accounts for 14% of over-45s. Micropreneurs harness the Internet to trade, network and build business relationships, doing the majority of their work on the Internet.

Knowledge Traders

The largest of the groups accounting for 36% of over-45s. Knowledge Traders use the Internet to broaden their horizons, minds and influence and see the internet as a window of opportunity. Creative and proactive, they upload and download media content and share beliefs and passions via blogs and messageboards.

Jason Robinson, director of savings operations at Birmingham Midshires, said: "As an online financial services provider, we have noticed an increasing number of customers in the over-45 age category logging on. We carried out the Life 2 research to give us a better understanding of this age group. This report has gone even further and has shattered the myth of the traditional Silver Surfer – replacing it with a new breed of mature Internet user. These Online Activists use the Internet as a research and insight tool – they know exactly what they want and will use the Internet to get it, be it organising their finances, shopping or keeping in touch with family.”

Peter MacBride, author of Brilliant Internet for Over-50s, added: “Gone are the days when over-45s saw the Internet as a gadget solely the preserve of techies and the younger generation. Instead, today’s over-45s are exploiting the Internet to their own end. These are smart consumers who are not scared of new technology but rather embrace it because of the important benefits it offers, saving them time, effort and money.”