FASTEST GROWING ONLINE MARKET?--SENIOR CITIZENS!...

The fastest growing online population is also the oldest, according to measurements from Nielsen//NetRatings finding that the over 65 group surged 25 percent in a year. Since October 2002, senior citizens online grew from 7.6 million — 5.9 percent of the active Internet universe — to 9.6 million surfers, representing 7 percent of the online population in October 2003.

Big gains were seen among female seniors who increased their average number of Web pages viewed per month by 14 percent — compared to 5 percent for males — and the women increased their average time spent online by 6 percent, spending nearly two more hours online.

The aging Internet population will be reflected in online shopping, where Jupiter Research noticed that the older adults and seniors — along with kids and teens — would experience the biggest e-commerce gains by 2007.

This data bodes well for those in the wellness industry who are marketing wellness products or recruiting distributors. You might want to consider advertising in publications...both online and offline... that target senior citizens.