Poll Analysis: Computers and Mastodon
Around December 17, 2024, I created a simple poll on Mastodon asking “How long have you been using computers for?” (You can view it here). I didn’t expect much from it as it was meant to be a general question about technology use. To my surprise, the poll blew up, getting over 252 boosts, 132 favorites, and plenty of engagement in the replies, including a suggestion to make a follow-up poll.
This was not originally meant to be any means of research, but I suppose you can say it became a research opportunity about Mastodon’s user base. This got me thinking about why I started using Mastodon myself, but we will get to that part later as I don't want to add it to this right now. I should analyse the results first from each poll.
Poll Results
The first poll was simple, asking users to share how long they’d been using computers. While yes, I am on a retro tech instance, I tried to get my poll further out into Mastodon outside of retro tech:
- 60% of respondents reported having over 30 years of computer experience, meaning they likely started using computers in the 1980s or earlier.
- Another 16% indicated 30 years, while 13% marked 25 years of experience.
- Only a small fraction, about 12% combined, reported using computers for less than 20 years.
These results showed that with the amount of people that voted on the poll, Mastodon’s audience consists of long-time tech users who have witnessed the evolution of computing from its earlier, pioneering days to the present. The overwhelming response of "even longer" suggests an audience that likely values the era of personal computing when systems like the Commodore 64, early Macs, or IBM PCs were household names.
Follow-up Poll
In the follow-up poll, I asked: “How old were you when you first started using a computer?” The results provided insights into when these experienced users were first introduced to technology:
- 38% started using computers between the ages of 5-10 years old, with 28% starting at 11-15 years old.
- A smaller but notable 12% began under the age of 5, while 11% started between 16-20 years old.
- Only a small percentage began after the age of 20, with 7% at 21-30 years old and just 5% over 30.
This poll focused on the relationship between age and computer experience. The younger age groups dominate, with 38% of respondents beginning their computer usage between ages 5-10. The combined 5-15 years old group accounts for 78% of the respondents, highlighting a strong correlation between childhood and early exposure to computers. In contrast, older demographics (over 21 years old) represent a smaller percentage.
Final Poll
To tie everything together, the final poll asked: “What decade did you first start using a computer?” The results once again skewed towards older tech users:
- 57% started in the 1980s, a period marked by the rise of personal computing.
- 20% began in the 1990s, during the internet boom and the dominance of say Windows 95.
- 13% started in the 1970s or earlier, aligning with the earliest adopters of mainframes and early personal computers.
- The remaining 10% spanned the 2000s (9%), 2010s (1%), and 2020s (0%), showing the limited presence of younger or newer users on Mastodon.
For the 1970s or earlier, a small yet significant portion of the audience began using computers during the early days of computing. These users likely interacted with mainframe systems, early personal computers like the Altair 8800, or institutional systems such as IBM mainframes. Their experience reflects firsthand exposure to the earlier technologies.
For the 1980s, the majority of respondents entered computing during the personal computer boom. This era saw the rise of early home computers such as the Apple II, IBM PC, Commodore 64, and ZX Spectrum. It marked a period as computing moved from large institutions to homes and small businesses. These users were likely influenced by the emergence of iconic software like DOS and early graphical interfaces, such as Macintosh System 1 and Windows 1.0. This result aligns with previous polls showing that many respondents have over 30 years of computing experience.
The 1990s group likely experienced the rise of Windows 3.x, Windows 95/98 and the adoption of the internet. They might have started with mid-tier personal computers or were part of an educational or professional shift towards widespread computing. This group corresponds with the "11-15 years old" respondents from earlier polls.
For the 2000s, these users were introduced to computing during the early 2000s, a time defined by Windows XP, the peak of the dot-com boom and the expansion of broadband internet.
The 2010s represent a smaller but notable group that began using computers during the last decade, reflecting the modern "mobile-first" generation. Their experience likely revolves around tablets, smartphones, and cloud computing, moving away from traditional desktops or laptops.
As expected, the 2020s or later garnered negligible responses, as Mastodon’s audience leans heavily towards older, tech-savvy users with extensive computing histories.
The analysis
The responses from all polls showed that with the amount of people I reached, Mastodon seems to attract a demographic that skews heavily toward older, experienced tech users. Many of these people have been involved with computers for decades and appear to have nostalgia for the "golden age" of computing: a time when technology was more experimental, user-focused, and open.
Across all polls there is a consistent theme of older users dominating the results. The majority of respondents report having over 30 years of computer experience, reflecting a strong bias towards individuals who were introduced to computing during the early days of personal computing or even earlier. Younger age groups represent a smaller portion of respondents, particularly those born after the 2000s, who show significantly less engagement. This suggests that Mastodon’s user base is skewed towards individuals who were active during the formative years of personal computing, the 1980s and 1990s.
Please correct me if I am wrong with this because I researched beforehand, but in the past you could say the the tech industry was more open and experimental environment with a focus on user empowerment and innovation. However, over time, this has transformed into a landscape where major tech companies prioritise profitability, often at the expense of consumer interests, causing people who may be older to shift towards platforms like Mastodon. A notable development in this shift is the emergence of "walled gardens" such as Apple's walled garden, preventing things such as jailbreaking and the disappearance of personal websites (RIP Geocities).
The first exposure to computers correlates with childhood and adolescence. A large percentage of respondents began using computers between the ages of 5-15, indicating that early familiarity with technology is a significant factor. In contrast, those who started using computers after their twenties are a smaller segment, supposedly showing Mastodon’s appeal to older users with extensive tech experience.
It is important to note though that the total engagement across all three polls is 5,110 and Mastodon has over 10 million registered users, so this only shows like a small fraction of Mastodon.