Now half of over-65s are on social media

But they tend to browse without posting anything

SILVER surfers are on the rise, with record numbers of older Britons buying smartphones and joining social media websites.

Half of those aged 65 to 74 and four out of ten over-75s now have social media profiles, according to a major Ofcom study.

The vast majority favour Facebook, with nearly nine out of ten over-65s on the internet saying it is the social site the use the most.

The next most popular social networks were WhatsApp and YouTube, which combined are used by 7 per cent of older internet users.

The total number of silver surfers has surged as more are using internet-enabled smartphones. Older web users are far more likely to use their mobile or a tablet to go online than to use an ‘old-fashioned’ laptop or desktop computer, the report said, while four out of ten baby boomers said they had a smartphone, an increase from 2015 when less than 30 per cent did.

Meanwhile, the number of over-75s with smartphones has nearly doubled to around 15 per cent.

Many late-life internet converts are using the web to keep up with friends and relatives.

However, they are far more likely than younger users to only ever use Facebook as ‘lurkers’ – browsing the site without posting themselves.

According to the study, seven out of ten over 65s regularly scroll through other people’s posts without posting anything themselves. It is thought that this is because over-65s remain wary of the internet.

One in five said they lack confidence online, and a third said that they worry that they do not know how to look after their personal information.

Women are more likely than men to publish content online, the report found, with eight out of ten posting comments and sharing images.

Alison Preston, head of media literacy at Ofcom, said: ‘The UK’s older generation is beginning to embrace smart technology. But some older people lack confidence online, or struggle to navigate search results. Many are new to the internet, so we’d encourage people to help older friends or family who need support getting connected.’ Surprisingly, 14 per cent of Britons still do not use the internet at all – often because they think it is too complicated, too expensive or simply not for them.

Meanwhile, more than half of over-75s say they have no intention of getting online.

Exactly half of internet users quizzed for Ofcom’s Adults’ Media Use and Attitude report said they worry about content found online.

They were particularly anxious about predators using the web to groom children, pornography, and other material unsuitable for youngsters.

Women are more likely to worry than men about what they might encounter – especially about offensive or illegal content online such as hate speech or terror manuals.