Australian grandparents are increasingly turning to social media and video calling platforms to connect with their loved ones, a survey shows.
NBN Co, the company building the national broadband network, asked 800 over-55s about their online habits.
They found 76 per cent use the internet to contact their children and 59 per cent use the web to contact their grandchildren.
Among this group, email is the most popular way to connect with children, being used by 90 per cent.
Facebook is used by 61 per cent.
Thirty-five per cent of older internet users talk with their grandchildren using Skype, FaceTime and other video chatting platforms.
The research concurs with a recent study by research firm Telsyte, which found over-55s are the fastest-growing smartphone user group.
"Many people think that over 60s are not online," said Rebecca Wilson, head of Starts at 60, an online community for older Australians.
"We have seen that they are, and are hungry for all the benefits technology brings.
"(It's) enabling them to stay connected to family and friends and overcome isolation that can creep up in our busy lives."
