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.