So the over-45s are technophobes who don't know their RSS from their elbow, are they? Not according to a new report from Birmingham Midshires, which has found that mature surfers are an extremely net-savvy bunch.

Fifteen per cent of Brits over 45 use Skype, the same number that indulge in a spot of MySpacing and YouTubery. Canny older web users are also driving the boom in online price comparison sites and online finance management, found the first quarterly Life 2 report.

A hardcore of 14% of over-45s are termed "Micropreneurs". These are the people for whom the internet is everything: they harness it to trade, network and build business relationships, and do the majority of their work online. Another group, the "Knowledge Traders", account for 36% of over-45s and use internet services like Skype to broaden their horizons and share their beliefs and passions with net users around the world.

Jason Robinson, director of savings operations at Birmingham Midshires, said: "We have noticed an increasing number of customers in the over-45 age category logging on, and this report has shattered the myth of the traditional Silver Surfer. Mature internet users are online activists, and they know exactly what they want and will use the internet to get it, be it saving money or keeping in touch with family.”