Terrified of technology and social media. Behind the times. Immersed in traditional media.

These are just a few of the labels marketers and society in general have heaped on the 45-plus generation, creating widespread stereotypes and misinformation about this demographic on everything from how they make purchasing decisions to how they get information to how they communicate with family and friends.

To get a better understanding of the empty nester demographic, Influence Central, along with Vibrant Nation, embarked on a landmark study of 600-plus American women over the age of 45 years old, without kids under the age of 18 living at home. The results portrayed an entirely different view of this generation from conventional wisdom — revealing dynamic consumers and strong, confident women engaged in the world around them. In this interview with Women in Retail Leadership Circle (WIRLC), Stacy DeBroff, founder and CEO of digital and social media consulting firm Influence Central, illuminates the study’s findings on how the empty nester generation interacts with technology, engages in consumerism and moves along the path to purchase.

WIRLC: What did you find to be the study’s most surprising result?
Stacy DeBroff: We so often hear that women over 45 can’t change with the times or hack technology, but our study revealed the exact opposite. It showed dramatically that women of this generation have embraced technology, with nearly 90 percent on Facebook, nine out of 10 considering themselves “texters” and 72 percent visiting social media sites on their smartphones. Furthermore, this enthusiastic adoption of technology informs so many factors in their lives.

WIRLC: We typically think of millennials when we think of a tech-savvy generation; how did empty nesters bridge the digital gap?
SD: It’s true, empty nesters didn’t grow up immersed in technology as today’s digital natives did, so they faced an uphill climb with the rise of the internet age. But climb they did, as more than half get updates on news and happenings via social media, and 36 percent would rather text than talk on the phone. Trouble is, marketers haven’t grasped this evolution. They still view empty nesters as steeped in traditional media, poring over print magazines and dialed into TV news.

WIRLC: How does empty nesters’ use of technology impact their purchase decisions?
SD: Our study demonstrated that technology and social media have had a profound impact on the empty nester purchasing journey. These women have increasingly shifted their shopping preferences online, with more than 85 percent shopping online for the convenience, and 82 percent now spending more time online browsing for products than they do in-store. Even more telling: 64 percent make purchases from online retailers from their tablets and 65 percent use their smartphone to research product information.

WIRLC: What most influences the empty nester generation’s purchasing decisions?
SD: With this generation’s growing immersion in the digital and social media space, not surprisingly they look to online reviews as a key influence. Moreover, 67 percent of empty nesters have become skeptical of traditional advertising, so they increasingly look to word-of-mouth and personal recommendations to inform their purchasing decisions. More than 95 percent of empty nesters research online reviews before making a purchase in order to get firsthand insights, and 56 percent said reading a negative online review would cause them to not visit a store or restaurant. Furthermore, 85 percent of this generation says when they have a good or bad experience with a new brand, product, vendor or service, they tell a lot of people.

WIRLC: What insights and information do empty nesters bring with them when they shop in-store?
SD: Empty nester women have transformed themselves into “social researchers,” combing the internet for user-generated content and recommendations so that they come into a retail environment poised to make smarter purchases. Traditional media may help spark initial product inspirations, but this generation relies heavily on the internet to determine whether to make a purchase. Finally, once an empty nester decides to make a purchase, the in-store experience becomes even more important. This in-store interaction has the power to make or break a sale for empty nester women.