According to the most recent statistics put forth by Pew Research, the use of social networks - like Facebook, Twitter and LikedIn – for users above the age of 50 years has increased two times over the last year or so.

Going by the Pew data, while 22 percent of the 2,252 above-50 Internet users reported confessed using the social networking sites in April 2009, almost 42 percent of the users of the same demographic said, in May this year, that they used social networking sites.

More specifically, during the April 2009-May 2010 period, the social networking use among Web users aged between 50 and 64 years increased from 25 percent to 47 percent - marking an 88 percent increase; and among people above 65 years of age, the usage increased from 13 to 26 percent.

Furthermore, while nearly 20 percent of online adults in the 50-64 age-groups said, in May this year, that they use social networking sites on an average day; 10 percent people in the same demographic averagely used these sites daily, in April last year. The average daily use of the social networking sites by people above 65 has also increased from 4 percent to 13 percent during the same period.

The notable rise in the use of social networks by people above 50 years, during the April 2009-May 2010 period, largely results from the fact that the sites are used by the above-50 people for reconnecting with people from the past as well as for medical support issue.