Monday, July 6, 2009

How Teens Use Media

I was able to glance over the "June 2009, How Teens Use Media" report from Nielsen...

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Media Consumption of a Typical U.S. Teenager as measured by Nielsen
"...there is no 'typical' teen-age consumer, just as really there is no typical consumer overall..."

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Myth: Teens use media—10 screens at a time
Reality: Teens are more likely than adults to use their media one at a time

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Myth: Teens are abandoning TV for new media
Reality: ...They’re watching more TV than ever
"In the U.S., there’s been a slight shift in teen TV viewing from broadcast to ad-supported cable..."
3 hours,  20 minutes per day
"The most popular genres for U.S. teens are Evening Animation, Participation/Variety and General Drama. Family Guy and American Dad drive the animation category...American Idol...the top U.S. program among teens in 2008—as it was for everyone else..."

Myth: Avid commercial skippers, teens favor the DVR
Reality: Teens prefer their TV live

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PC use
52 minutes daily (including applications)

Myth: Teens use the Internet in wildly different ways than adults
Reality: Teens flock to many of the same categories and sites as adults

Myth: Teens are the most avid users of the Internet
Reality: Teens browse less than half as much as the typical user

Internet, 23 minutes

Myth: Teens are driving the growth of online video
Reality: They watch less online video than their elders
Online video...If they watched, watched 6 minutes per day

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Myth: Teens are the biggest gamers of all
Reality: Teens account for just 23% of the console audience and less than 10% of PC game minutes

The most anticipated video game among gamers 13–17 since 2005 has been Halo 3...Grand Theft Auto IV tied Guitar Hero: Aerosmith for the second most anticipated video game. Mario Party 7 (33%) and Guitar Hero: World Tour (32%) round out the list of the fve most anticipated games...

Console Gaming, 25 minutes daily

Reality: More than a quarter of U.S. teens say they read a daily newspaper and more than a third say they read on Sunday
"...older teens 18–20 measured by Scarborough Research were less likely to read a daily paper than average, but still more than a quarter (29%) of U.S. persons 18–20 say they read a daily newspaper on an average day. About a third, 34%, say they read a paper on an average Sunday.

(Which brings me to the section where I rant) IF YOU GIVE THEM A REASON TO READ IT, MAYBE THEY WILL!!!  No different than TV, radio, vodcasts/podcasts:  give them, your audience, a reason to be interested in your content!  Show an interest in them, and their interests...

Newspaper, 1 in 4 read

I remember the joy of perusing and reading the newpaper with my great-grandparents.  I intentionally would not pay for cable television to force my children to look at the newpaper I would bring home.

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Reality: Radio is the top source of music consumption for 16% of teens globally and the secondary source for another 21%.

"In the U.S., a 2008 study by Scarborough Research showed that 'Pop Contemporary Hit Radio' was the most popular format among older teens 18–20 (listened to by 40% of this segment), followed by Rhythmic Contemporary and Country..."

Reality: Advertisers are more likely to target teens with messages about health and beauty

Myth: U.S. teens are the world’s couch potatoes
Reality: Far from true…South Africans and Indonesians take the prize

Myth: The only way to reach teens over their phone is texting
Reality: Teens text at incredible rates, but are EARLY ADOPTERS OF ALL MOBILE MEDIA

Myth: The silver screen is too old-fashioned and expensive for today’s teens
Reality: Teens go to the movies more than any other age group

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It seems that this demographic is no different than any other:  if you want them, you will need to put in the effort and "fight for them".

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