While we all know that media habits are in an unprecedented state of flux, it was interesting to see how this change is accelerated in the next generation. A US study carried out by the Kaiser Family Foundation surveyed approximately 2,000 students on their media habits with an additional 700 keeping detailed diaries of the their media usage. The study not only examines current consumption patterns, but also tracks trends resulting from similar research conducted in 1999 and 2004.
Highlights of the study include:
• Average amount of media consumption per day (in hours) 10, up from 7.5 in 1999
• Due to a propensity for multi-tasking (consuming multiple formats at one time) kids are able to pack this total amount into 7.5 hours
• TV content is still king, accounting for 4.5 hours of viewing, but broadcast TV is losing ground to online and mobile viewing
• 64% reported having a TV on during meals and 71% of students have a tv in their bedroom
• 84 % have internet access and the total amount of time spent on a computer is 1.5 hours vs. .5 hours on print media
• Computers are primarily being used for Social Media (25%), Gaming (19%) and watching videos (16%)
• 76% of respondents own an iPod or MP3 player, up from just 18% in 2004.
• 66% own a mobile phone, up from 39% in 2004
• Daily consumption of newspapers and magazines has dropped by 20% since 1999
• 60% of mobile phone use in relation to content consumption
• 11-14 year olds consumer the most amount of media at 11.5 hours per day, closely followed by 15-18 year olds at 11.2 hours
• The research also revealed that light and moderate media users got better grades than heavy media users
The amount of media being consumed by 11-14 year olds really surprised me as there has been a general parental movement to limit the amount of tv children watch. Parental discipline has obviously not evolved to take new content channels into consideration. There is a gap in parental knowledge, which is likely to expand, as children outpace adults in relation to new ways to consume media. With Minister Eamon Ryan set to conduct a national consultation on the impact of online content on traditional media, it might be worth taking a look at the habits of Irish tweens to get a perspective on how the situation might evolve with the coming of age of generation M2 and beyond. The results could then be used by interest groups to create guidelines for parents on how to set ground rules for children’s interaction with these channels.
Of course, this information will be useful to marketers with a view to shaping communication with this audience as strategies keep pace with the ever evolving social media. With Facebook visits having overtaken Google searches for the first time ever in the US, and measurement tools allowing you to analyse the success of campaigns, tactics and levels of engagement, this is a channel that is sure to sure to increase its share of the marketing mix.
Author: Lisa McDonald lisa.mcdonald@scomms.ie