According to the latest findings from the Pew Internet and American Life Project, social networking use among internet users ages 50 and older has nearly doubled – from 22% to 42% over the past year.

And while social media use has grown dramatically across all age groups, these older users have been especially enthusiastic about embracing new networking tools.

• Between April 2009 and May 2010, social networking use among internet users ages 50-64 grew by 88% – from 25% to 47%.
• During the same period, use among those ages 65 and older grew 100% – from 13% to 26%.
• By comparison, social networking use among users ages 18-29 grew by 13% – from 76% to 86%.

“Young adults continue to be the heaviest users of social media, but their growth pales in comparison with recent gains made by older users,” explains Mary Madden, Senior Research Specialist and author of the report. “Email is still the primary way that older users maintain contact with friends, families and colleagues, but many older users now rely on social network platforms to help manage their daily communications.”

• 20% of online adults ages 50-64 say they use social networking sites on a typical day, up from 10% one year ago.
• Among adults ages 65 and older, 13% log on to social networking sites on a typical day, compared with just 4% who did so in 2009.

At the same time, the use of status update services like Twitter has also grown – particularly among those ages 50-64. One in ten internet users ages 50 and older now say they use Twitter or another service to share updates about themselves or see updates about others.