My, My, My Generation on MySpace

Last week, the release of visitor demographics for MySpace from comScore found 51+ percent of MySpace visitors in the US to be 35+ years old. Teen visitors dropped from just under 25 percent to less than 12 percent of total unique visitors.

Nielsen//NetRatings found 46 percent of US-based visitors to MySpace in September were ages 35+, up from 38 percent from last year. Visitors in the 12-17 age group slipped from 31.5 percent of the total audience to 20 percent during the same time.

While the rate of older visitors increases, the actual usage of the site remains firmly grasped in the hands of the 12-17 year olds.

Ad Age reported:

The average 12- to 17-year-old spent 260 minutes on MySpace and viewed about 808 pages. By contrast, the average 35-54-year-old spent 179 minutes on the site and took in 560 pages.

In other words, teens consumed 44 percent more content and spent 45 percent more time on MySpace than the 35+ year olds. So, who are the older visitors? Lurkers, parents, pedophiles?

Tags: MySpace, aging of MySpace, 35+ year olds, users or lurkers