Daily Research News Online no. 5851 - UK Youth Flock to New Media � but Leave Money Behind

UK Youth Flock to New Media � but Leave Money Behind

August 22 2006

A few days after communications regulator Ofcom announced that 'online is rapidly becoming the lead medium for young people in the UK', video research specialist Vox Pops International has released results suggesting that 'when it comes to money, teenagers treat the World Wide Web with reserve'.

Ofcom says Britain's youth (those aged 16-24) are becoming less involved with 'old' media. They watch TV for one hour less per day than the average television viewer - with a wider gap for public service programmes shown by the likes of BBC1 and ITV1. In multichannel homes, terrestrial channels' share is down to 58% of viewing time in this age group, from 74% in 2001.

Young people are below average in the time they spend listening to analogue and local commercial radio. Some of this is replaced with listening to digital and other new services, but they listen to 15 minutes less radio each day and spend an average of 21 minutes per week more online than the average UK adult. 37% of 18 to 24 year-olds have contributed to a blog or web site message board, compared to just 14% of all UK Internet users. 70% used social networking sites such as MySpace, FriendsReunited and Bebo last year, compared to just 40% of all adults.

Usage of other new media is also increasing. 16-24 year-olds make seven more mobile phone calls and send 42 more texts per week than the population as a whole.

Ofcom, on the web at www.ofcom.org , predicts that these trends are likely to continue as new technology and new products expand choice and availability.

However, the Vox Pops research says that teenagers are 'turned off by online purchases... While most teens embrace new technologies both online and offline' says the firm, 'the majority do not trust the safety precautions on the Internet; only very few shop online or conduct their banking via the computer.'

The research is part of Vox Pops' monthly series of qualitative street interviews with a different life stage group at different locations across Britain. This month's features teenagers talking about retail behaviour, media consumption, brand preferences, their financial situation, their leisure time and their career aspirations.

Most of those interviewed use MSN regularly in order to find new friends and stay in contact with their old ones, with online communication often considered an easier way of opening up and getting to know someone.

The research also identifies two distinct types of shopper: one group - mainly boys - prefer to buy their clothes in shops like Footlocker, JJB Sports or JD Sports and the other at the likes of Topshop, H&M and River Island. There is wide variation in views of cool and uncool brands ('Reebok... tracksuits are alright but the trainers - no' says one 17-year-old. Others regard Nike as a fashionable brand but one 16-year-old points to his friend's shirt and says: 'I can't stand things like that, Nike, it's just chav to me'). The amount of pocket money the respondents get ranges from £30 to £150 a month, with many teenagers trying to supplement it by working part-time.

The Teens series is the 14th instalment in the Free Monthly Video Series from Vox Pops International, specialist in filming, interviewing and video production tailored to client objectives. The videos can be viewed at www.voxpops.com/monthly_teens684.php .