Understanding how Teen and Tween Media Behavior Differ
“Drake Morton believes, knowledge is power”
The Nielsen Company announced some of the findings of an in-depth study, “Kids on the Go: Mobile Usage by U.S. Teens and Tweens,” on the mobile media and cross media behavior of U.S. “tweens” (ages 8-12), finding that 5% of tweens access the Internet over their phone each month.
While 41% of tween mobile Internet users say they do so while commuting or traveling (to school, for example), mobile content such as the Internet is also a social medium for this audience. 26% of tween mobile Internet users say they access the web while at a friend’s house and 17% say they do so at social events.
The report estimates that:
35% of tweens own a mobile phone
20% of tweens have used text messaging
21% of tweens have used ring & answer tones
According to the report, young mobile users are also turning to their phones for in-home entertainment:
58% of tweens who download or watch TV on their phone do so at home
64% of tweens who download or play music on their phone do so at home
56% of tweens who access the Internet on their phone do so at home
While text-messaging and ringtones remain the most pervasive non-voice functions on the phone, says the report, other content such as downloaded wallpapers, music, games and Internet access also rank highly among tweens.
Jeff Herrmann, VP of Mobile Media for Nielsen Mobile, says “… Marketers and media executives need to understand these ‘digital natives’ as they mature and reshape the way we all think about new and traditional media.”
Nielsen reports that tweens spend less time surfing the Internet than their teen counterparts. In this report, 48% of U.S. tweens said they spend less than one hour per day online. When they are online, 70% of tweens use the Internet for gaming. Comparatively, 81% of U.S. teens say they spend one hour or more per day online, with e-mail being the most pervasive online activity for this age group.
“In addition to the differences between adult and youth media consumers, there’s an important gap between the media behaviors of teens and tweens,” concludes Herrmann.
Company Overview
Welcome to the new Nielsen Mobile!
Telephia is now Nielsen Mobile, a service of The Nielsen Company and the world’s largest provider of syndicated consumer research to the telecom and mobile media markets. Nielsen Mobile integrates Telephia’s strength in telecom, with Nielsen’s global media and marketing research capabilities. The global footprint and broad capabilities of Nielsen Mobile provides powerful new resources and insight to clients. At the same time, the combined products and assets within Nielsen Mobile will continue to support the growing information needs of companies in the mobile sector and, increasingly, in a range of other industries as well.
The mobile consumer spends $350B each year on connectivity, devices, and content. The mobile consumer has a lot of choices — communications and entertainment options are proliferating quickly. The mobile consumer is always connected — through mobile device, PC, telephone, or TV — but is increasingly hard for marketers to reach.Smart companies know that the consumer will decide who wins and loses in this competitive market. These companies continuously investigate the drivers of purchase decisions and measure their company’s performance using the metrics that matter most to the consumer. Smart companies invest in rigorous and independent consumer research because they know fact-based decisions will lead to superior business performance.
That is why the leaders of the convergence market work with Nielsen Mobile — the largest supplier of consumer research to the communications and new media markets. We employ proprietary measurement technology and large-scale consumer panels to completely measure the consumer’s behavior, attitudes and experience. Nielsen Mobile knows the mobile consumer. We know how he spends his money and his time. We know what is on his screen and what is on his mind. We know how he experiences your brand and the quality of your products. We know what he wants — today and tomorrow.
Nielsen Mobile’s roots are in measuring consumer behavior for the hyper-competitive mobile communications market. Since 1998, mobile industry leaders have relied on Nielsen Mobile data to make confident consumer marketing, competitive strategy, and resource allocation decisions. Nielsen Mobile has earned a reputation for high-quality syndicated research, complete independence, and a commitment to helping clients put our research into action. Today, Nielsen Mobile serves clients from across the convergence marketplace — mobile and wired service providers, retailers, content providers, and device manufacturers.
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