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30-Somethings are Most Tech Savvy, Survey Finds

When it comes to the online channel, one tends to think that the younger an individual is, the more technologically proficient and comfortable with online tools he or she will be. But it turns out that the group most engaged with the online channel is actually made up of those in their 30s.

Wells Fargo surveyed 1,000 online banking customers in all age groups, measuring their online engagement, sophistication and habits. After the online survey, the participants received a score, or "digital age." The most technologically sophisticated group – those who use advanced online tools more frequently for both daily tasks and interpersonal interaction, as well as for entertainment – turned out to be those born somewhere between the early Nixon administration and the later Carter years.

To find your own "digital age," you can take Wells Fargo's online quiz here.

There were other surprising findings coming out of the survey. First, while most people are somewhat digitally adept, participation fell off sharply as complexity increases. The vast majority of respondents (93 percent) own a digital camera, but less than a third of participants use digital photo-sharing tools, for instance. And 92 percent of participants own a cell phone, but less than one-fourth have used an Internet-based phone service.

To me, the most eye-opening finding is that those in their 30s are more likely than other groups to use advanced photo technologies, take advantage of online career networking services and manage their finances with the online channel. Also interesting to me is that only 10 percent of survey respondents across all age groups make social networking a high priority, while 65 percent of participants make finances a high priority.

Banks that have been gearing their online marketing efforts to younger customers might want to re-think their strategies.