Age Ain’t Nothing But A Number: How Old Is The Average User of ShapeUp’s Employee Wellness Solution?
By Rajiv Kumar, M.D. on Jan 20, 2012 – 0 Comments
In a previous blog post, I dispelled five common myths about social network-based employee wellness programs. Today I want to focus on one of the most prevalent ones: the myth that only young employees, who may be more tech-savvy, will engage with an online wellness program that utilizes social networking features.
It makes sense why one might assume that a social networking-based wellness platform would appeal mainly to a younger audience. After all, this was the population that first adopted Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and most other popular social networking tools. When considering tools on the ShapeUp platform like profiles, news feeds, high-fives, challenges, peer-to-peer invitations, and team chat, it might be natural for employers to assume that a younger audience is more likely to adopt and champion this type of program. However, this is not the reality. Over the past five years, we’ve seen that a social network for wellness engages all age groups.
In an effort to clearly demonstrate the broad appeal of a social network for wellness across all age groups, I pulled anonymous data on 500,000 users from our platform and did some analysis. Then I compared our demographic data with the 2010 U.S. census. Here’s what I found:
Sources: http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2012/tables/12s0592.pdf; ShapeUp platform data based on 500k randomly selected users
You’ll notice immediately that ShapeUp’s percentage of users who fall into the 35-54 age range is higher than in the U.S. workforce. The average user on our platform is 41.9 years old. Here are some reasons why:
1. We’ve designed our program with simplicity in mind, removing technical jargon and boiling behavior change down into the simple tasks that we want people to do: form or join a team, set goals, track and compare progress, share results, and earn rewards. This type of approach makes a social network less threatening and easier to learn how to use.
2. ShapeUp a social network with a point. Many middle-aged adults don’t see the meaning or purpose in micro-blogging on Twitter or tagging friends in Facebook photos. But our platform comes with a specific aim in mind: achieving better health. This gives them a specific reason to join and shows them that there is value in participating.
3. After trying multiple diets, workout videos, and gym memberships over the years, many middle-aged employees are finally ready to admit that they can’t achieve their goals on their own. They know they need social support, motivation, and accountability – and a social network-based wellness program like ShapeUp provides exactly that.
(You may be wondering why the percentage of users who are 25 years old or younger is lower in ShapeUp than in the U.S. working population. This is because younger workers, who are often part-timers, are less likely to be covered by employer health benefits, and thus less likely to be included in a corporate wellness program.)
There’s no doubt that new and high-tech social networking tools often appeal to a younger audience before they go mainstream. But when a social network is designed to be easily understood, has a specific purpose that everyone can relate to, and offers people a way to succeed at a goal they’ve failed at in the past, it can attract a population with a more even age distribution. ShapeUp’s participant demographics prove this.
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