MRI Reveals US Kids' Media Habits

Mediamark Research Inc (MRI) has released data from its first ever survey of American children aged six to 11. Most of the kids surveyed use the Internet at least once a month and most have a TV in their room - but only 4% use MP3 players.

MRI sent questionnaires for the American Kids Study to relevant households that had previously been interviewed for the company's Survey of the American Consumer. Approximately 5,400 children responded between March and August this year. Findings are outlined below.

Online activity
59% of kids surveyed had been online in the last 30 days, while 8.1% went online every day. The largest percentage (42.6%) played games while online, while 23.1% 'did stuff for school/homework'. More girls than boys (13.6% vs 7.6%) used email, and just 2.6% of all respondents visited chat rooms. Nearly 7% said they had Internet access in their bedrooms.

Music and TV
Around 60% had a TV in their bedrooms, and a similar number had a CD player. 27% had a DVD player. When it comes to music, 74% listened via a car radio, 62.8% used a CD player, and just 4.1% used an MP3 player.

When asked what they do when TV commercials come on, nearly 60% of respondents said they watch them.

Thoughts and feelings
Around 60% of kids report they want to go to college, and 70% say they want to make a lot of money when they are older. 62% say friends are an important part of their life - but only 51% say they 'often do things to help other people'.

Kathi Love, the company's President and CEO, says the study 'fulfills a need expressed by many of our clients'. By combining data from the new study with the existing Teenmark study, she says subscribers 'can segment young people by whatever age they're targeting, including the important 'tween' group'.

As part of the survey process, one parent per household also received a questionnaire, seeking insights on their influences on kids' media and purchase behavior. Data from the parent survey is due for release soon.

Subscribers to the new study include Carat, Mediavest, MindShare, Starcom, The Cartoon Network, Time for Kids, Sports Illustrated for Kids, Boy's Life, and National Geographic for Kids.

MRI, part of GfK Group, is online at www.mediamark.com.

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.

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