More boomers report feeling ‘most like themselves’ online

There has been an upsurge in baby boomers saying they feel more like their true selves online rather than offline, according to a new survey.

The vast majority of boomers, or those born in the mid-20th century, still feel most like themselves offline, with 65% of respondents agreeing with a statement.

However, the number of boomers who feel most like themselves online has jumped to 16% – up from 10% in 2022. According to The New Consumer, which commissioned the report, this was the biggest shift among generations.

Millennials, or those between their late 20s and early 40s, feel most like themselves online more than any other demographic group, including zoomers, or Gen Z, the youngest generation covered in the survey.

Forty-seven percent of millennials said they felt their most true self online, compared to 40% who said they felt most like themselves in the real world. Forty-five percent of zoomers said they felt most like themselves online, and 42% said offline.

Among Gen X respondents, or those between their mid-40s and late 50s, 47% said they felt most like themselves offline. There was also an uptick of those who said they were their most authentic selves in the virtual world, with 35% agreeing with the statement as opposed to 30% in 2022.

On the other hand, the report found that the offline option “grew a tiny bit” among younger consumers, but not enough to offset the trend toward the opposite.

“This helps explain how digital culture has come to dominate culture. And why, for instance, Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign immediately adopted a very ‘online’ tone of voice, to quickly activate and energize young voters,” said Dan Frommer, the founder of The New Consumer, in a blog post.

According to Frommer, younger consumers are also more likely to say they feel “more valued for their talents” online than offline, as well as feel “more appreciated” and “more creative” online than older consumers.

The findings are part of the Consumer Trends report that surveyed thousands of consumers in the US.