There might be more silver surfers out there than ever before but, according to a survey from Pipex Internet, the majority of over 60s only use it for checking emails. It’s the younger generation which leads the way when it comes to social networking with over three quarters (76 per cent) of people under the age of 30 using their home broadband connection to regularly visit sites such as Facebook and MySpace.

The survey of broadband users found real differences in what different age groups do online. Older web users are more likely to spend time checking emails and using search engines – with only seven per cent of the over 60s downloading music compared with 84 per cent of 16-20 year olds.

When asked what they would like to be able to do online that they could not do already, nearly 60 per cent of 16-20 year olds wanted the ability to order a takeaway online. By contrast, over 70 per cent of over 60s wanted to be able to make appointments with their doctor, hospital or dentist online.

The uptake of IPTV remains relatively slow across the board, with just 13 per cent of respondents currently using their broadband connection to watch TV.

“The survey highlighted how broadband has become an integral part of everyday life – be it keeping in touch with family and friends via the more traditional forms of online communication or through social networking sites. We are committed to giving our customers the necessary tools and capabilities to experiment with new developments on the web, staying at the forefront of technology,” said Dominic Crolla, managing director at Pipex Internet.

The survey of over 500 broadband users was carried out by independent market research company, Pure Profile, and included customers of AOL, BT, Orange, Pipex, Sky, TalkTalk, Tiscali and Virgin.