Curse

Inde · Jul 14, 2009, 02:16 AM // 02:16

Very interesting. Found this article published today and it's really quite true on nearly every single point. I could argue some like what the most popular phone is and what not but this 15 year old kid is spot on. I'm sure some here will argue just for argument sake but the overwhelming majority of his report is correct:

How Teenagers Consume Media: the report that shook the City

This is the full copy of the research note written by Matthew Robson (aged 15 years and seven months), an intern at Morgan Stanley, which caused a stir after it was published by the bank.

Radio

Most teenagers nowadays are not regular listeners to radio. They may occasionally tune in, but they do not try to listen to a program specifically. The main reason teenagers listen to the radio is for music, but now with online sites streaming music for free they do not bother, as services such as last.fm do this advert free, and users can choose the songs they want instead of listening to what the radio presenter/DJ chooses.

Television

Most teenagers watch television, but usually there are points in the year where they watch more than average. This is due to programs coming on in seasons, so they will watch a particular show at a certain time for a number of weeks (as long as it lasts) but then they may watch no television for weeks after the program has ended.

Teenage boys (generally) watch more TV when it is the football season, often watching two games and related shows a week (totalling about 5 hours of viewing). A portion of teenagers watches programs that are regular (such as soap operas) at least five times a week for half an hour or so but this portion is shrinking, as it is hard to find the time each day.

Teenagers are also watching less television because of services such as BBC iPlayer, which allows them to watch shows when they want. Whilst watching TV, adverts come on quite regularly (18 minutes of every hour) and teenagers do not want to watch these, so they switch to another channel, or do something else whilst the adverts run.

The majority of teenagers I speak to have Virgin Media as their provider, citing lower costs but similar content of Sky. A fraction of teenagers have Freeview but these people are light users of TV (they watch about 1 ½ hours per week) so they do not require the hundreds of channels that other providers offer.

Newspapers

No teenager that I know of regularly reads a newspaper, as most do not have the time and cannot be bothered to read pages and pages of text while they could watch the news summarised on the internet or on TV.

The only newspapers that are read are tabloids and freesheets (Metro, London Lite…) mainly because of cost; teenagers are very reluctant to pay for a newspaper (hence the popularity of freesheets such as the Metro). Over the last few weeks, the Sun has decreased in cost to 20p, so I have seen more and more copies read by teenagers. Another reason why mainly tabloids are read is that their compact size allows them to be read easily, on a bus or train. This is especially true for The Metro, as it is distributed on buses and trains.

Gaming

Whilst the stereotypical view of gamers is teenage boys, the emergence of the Wii onto the market has created a plethora of girl gamers and younger (6+) gamers. The most common console is the Wii, then the Xbox 360 followed by the PS3. Most teenagers with a games console tend to game not in short bursts, but in long stints (upwards of an hour).

As consoles are now able to connect to the internet, voice chat is possible between users, which has had an impact on phone usage; one can speak for free over the console and so a teenager would be unwilling to pay to use a phone.

PC gaming has little or no place in the teenage market. This may be because usually games are released across all platforms, and whilst one can be sure a game will play on a console PC games require expensive set ups to ensure a game will play smoothly. In addition, PC games are relatively easy to pirate and download for free, so many teenagers would do this rather than buy a game. In contrast, it is near impossible to obtain a console game for free.

Internet

Every teenager has some access to the internet, be it at school or home. Home use is mainly used for fun (such as social

networking) whilst school (or library) use is for work. Most teenagers are heavily active on a combination of social networking sites. Facebook is the most common, with nearly everyone with an internet connection registered and visiting >4 times a week. Facebook is popular as one can interact with friends on a wide scale. On the other hand, teenagers do not use twitter. Most have signed up to the service, but then just leave it as they realise that they are not going to update it (mostly because texting twitter uses up credit, and they would rather text friends with that credit). In addition, they realise that no one is viewing their profile, so their 'tweets' are pointless.

Outside of social networking, the internet is used primarily as a source of information for a variety of topics. For searching the web, Google is the dominant figure, simply because it is well known and easy to use. Some teenagers make purchases on the internet (on sites like eBay) but this is only used by a small percentage, as a credit card is required and most teenagers do not have credit cards. Many teenagers use YouTube to watch videos (usually anime which cannot be watched anywhere else) and some use it as a music player by having a video with the music they want to listen to playing in the background.

Directories

Teenagers never use real directories (hard copy catalogues such as yellow pages). This is because real directories contain listings for builders and florists, which are services that teenagers do not require. They also do not use services such as 118 118 because it is quite expensive and they can get the information for free on the internet, simply by typing it into Google.

Viral/Outdoor Marketing

Most teenagers enjoy and support viral marketing, as often it creates humorous and interesting content. Teenagers see adverts on websites (pop ups, banner ads) as extremely annoying and pointless, as they have never paid any attention to them and they are portrayed in such a negative light that no one follows them.

Outdoor advertising usually does not trigger a reaction in teenagers, but sometimes they will oppose it (the Benetton baby adverts). Most teenagers ignore conventional outside advertising (billboards etc) because they have seen outside adverts since they first stepped outside and usually it is not targeted at them (unless it's for a film). However, campaigns such as the GTA: IV characters painted on the side of buildings generate interest because they are different and cause people to stop and think about the advert, maybe leading to further research.

Music

Teenagers listen to a lot of music, mostly whilst doing something else (like travelling or using a computer). This makes it hard to get an idea of the proportion of their time that is spent listening to music.

They are very reluctant to pay for it (most never having bought a CD) and a large majority (8/10) downloading it illegally from file sharing sites. Legal ways to get free music that teenagers use are to listen to the radio, watch music TV channels (not very popular, as these usually play music at certain times, which is not always when teenagers are watching) and use music streaming websites (as I mentioned previously).

Almost all teenagers like to have a 'hard copy' of the song (a file of the song that they can keep on their computer and use at will) so that they can transfer it to portable music players and share it with friends.

How teenagers play their music while on the go varies, and usually dependent on wealth –with teenagers from higher income families using iPods and those from lower income families using mobile phones. Some teenagers use both to listen to music, and there are always exceptions to the rule.

A number of people use the music service iTunes (usually in conjunction with iPods) to acquire their music (legally) but again this is unpopular with many teenagers because of the 'high price' (79p per song). Some teenagers use a combination of sources to obtain music, because sometimes the sound quality is better on streaming sites but they cannot use these sites whilst offline, so they would download a song then listen to it on music streaming sites (separate from the file).

Cinema

Teenagers visit the cinema quite often, regardless of what is on. Usually they will target a film first, and set out to see that, but sometimes they will just go and choose when they get there. This is because going to the cinema is not usually about the film, but the experience –and getting together with friends. Teenagers visit the cinema more often when they are in the lower end of teendom (13 and 14) but as they approach 15 they go to the cinema a lot less. This is due to the pricing; at 15 they have to pay the adult price, which is often double the child price. Also, it is possible to buy a pirated DVD of the film at the time of release, and these cost much less than a cinema ticket so teenagers often choose this instead of going to the cinema. Some teenagers choose to download the films off the internet, but this is not favourable as the films are usually bad quality, have to be watched on a small computer screen and there is a chance that they will be malicious files and install a virus.

Devices

Mobile Phones

99% of teenagers have a mobile phone and most are quite capable phones. The general view is that Sony Ericsson phones are superior, due to their long list of features, built in walkman capability and value (£100 will buy a mid-high range model). Teenagers due to the risk of it getting lost do not own mobile phones over the £200 mark. As a rule, teenagers have phones on pay as you go. This is because they cannot afford the monthly payments, and cannot commit to an 18-month contract. Usually, teenagers only use their phone for texting, calling.

Features such as video messaging or video calling are not used –because they are expensive, (you can get four regular texts for the price of one video message). Services such as instant messaging are used, but not by everyone. It usually depends whether the phone is Wi-Fi compatible, because otherwise it is very expensive to get internet off the phone network. As most teenagers' phones have Bluetooth support, and Bluetooth is free, they utilise this feature often. It is used to send songs and videos (even though it is illegal) and is another way teenagers gain songs for free. Teenagers never use the ringtone and picture selling services, which gained popularity in the early 00s. This is because of the negative press that these services have attracted (where the charge £20 a week with no easy way to cancel the service) and the fact that they can get pictures and music on a computer –then transfer it to their phones at no cost. Mobile email is not used as teenagers have no need; they do not need to be connected to their inbox all the time as they don't receive important emails. Teenagers do not use the internet features on their mobiles as it costs too much, and generally, if they waited an hour they could use their home internet and they are willing to wait as they don't usually have anything urgent to do.

Teenagers do not upgrade their phone very often, with most upgrading every two years. They usually upgrade on their birthday when their parents will buy them a new phone, as they do not normally have enough money to do it themselves.

Televisions

Most teenagers own a TV, with more and more upgrading to HD ready flat screens. However, many are not utilising this HD functionality, as HD channels are expensive extras which many families cannot justify the added expenditure. Many of them don't want to sign up to HD broadcasting services, as adverts are shown on standard definition broadcasts, so they can't see the difference. Most people have Virgin Media as a TV provider. Some have Sky and some have Freeview but very few only have the first five channels (BBC One, BBC Two, ITV, Channel Four and Channel Five).

Computers

Every teenager has access to a basic computer with internet, but most teenagers computers are systems capable of only everyday tasks. Nearly all teenagers' computers have Microsoft office installed, as it allows them to do school work at home. Most (9/10) computers owned by teenagers are PCs, because they are much cheaper than Macs and school computers run Windows, so if a Mac is used at home compatibility issues arise.

Games Consoles

Close to a third of teenagers have a new (<2 ½ years old) games console, 50% having a Wii, 40% with an Xbox 360 and 10% with a PS3. The PS3 has such a low figure because of its high price (£300) and similar features and games to an Xbox 360, which costs less (£160). The Wii's dominance is due to younger brothers and sisters, they have a Wii and parents are not willing to pay for another console.

What is hot?

• Anything with a touch screen is desirable.

• Mobile phones with large capacities for music.

• Portable devices that can connect to the internet (iPhones)

• Really big tellies

What is not?

• Anything with wires

• Phones with black and white screens

• Clunky 'brick' phones

• Devices with less than ten-hour battery life

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2...morgan-stanley

Neo Nugget · Jul 14, 2009, 02:22 AM // 02:22

That's surprisingly accurate, in my life at least.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Inde

Games Consoles

Close to a third of teenagers have a new (<2 ½ years old) games console, 50% having a Wii, 40% with an Xbox 360 and 10% with a PS3. The PS3 has such a low figure because of its high price (£300) and similar features and games to an Xbox 360, which costs less (£160).

What is hot?

Wonder what percentage own all three?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Inde

In addition, PC games are relatively easy to pirate and download for free, so many teenagers would do this rather than buy a game. In contrast, it is near impossible to obtain a console game for free.

.................................
A number of people use the music service iTunes (usually in conjunction with iPods) to acquire their music (legally) but again this is unpopular with many teenagers because of the 'high price' (79p per song). Some teenagers use a combination of sources to obtain music, because sometimes the sound quality is better on streaming sites but they cannot use these sites whilst offline, so they would download a song then listen to it on music streaming sites (separate from the file).
.................................................
Some teenagers choose to download the films off the internet, but this is not favourable as the films are usually bad quality, have to be watched on a small computer screen and there is a chance that they will be malicious files and install a virus.

Im too afraid of the feds to pirate my stuff

Roy_ · Jul 14, 2009, 03:07 AM // 03:07

Most of that (for me in anycase) is absurd... The computer is the prevalent thing in my life. Gaming is done only from here, the consoles are worthless to me...

I listen to the radio...alot, mostly Rrush Limbaugh or Sean Hanity.
Television is pointless... whopde freakin do... the vampire man got killed by another vampire...the superhero saved the day ect... and sports? I would rather cut my eyes out...

Music is NEVER downloaded...at all...all my music is bought legally through CD's.
Newspapers was correct...except for the tabloid thing...those are BS.
I DO use yellowbook... various things actually...

Thats my mini-rant, taken from the PoV of a 16 year old white kid.

Edit:
Cell phones...don't have one don't need one...

Second Edit:
After contemplating this subject I have come to the realization that that could be why I have so few friends...lol

Arkantos · Jul 14, 2009, 03:24 AM // 03:24

Yeah, all that's pretty accurate for me and...pretty much every teenager I know.

Shursh · Jul 14, 2009, 04:07 AM // 04:07

this article proves that media companies would do well to hire kids like this for a fraction of the cost of an adult employee (not sure what the age requirements are for employment in other countries), and in turn receive far better market knowledge.

this kid and his friends are who these companies are going to be selling to in the future.

really great points on almost everything - this kid just gave them gold.

arcanemacabre · Jul 14, 2009, 05:48 AM // 05:48

I'm pretty sure this covers most teens as well as a good chunk of 18-35. For me, most of this applies, except I watch very little TV and rarely go to the movies, and I'm 32. I'm also not big on consoles as I used to be back in the Sega/Nintendo days. I do own a Wii, but mostly for recreational games like Wii Sports or Wii Fit. 90% of my gaming is on the PC (with about half of that on GW

)

I'm getting the impression that TV is actually getting weeded out in younger generations as mobile devices and internet video sites (Youtube, Hulu) rise in popularity. These days, you can get all your show-watching done online, and do some heavy multitasking while you're at it.

Snograt · Jul 14, 2009, 05:51 AM // 05:51

Yup. that's a pretty accurate description of me.

subarucar · Jul 14, 2009, 06:51 AM // 06:51

A lot of that does not apply to me, but one of the main messages of teenagers not liking to spend much money does apply. I bought a Xbox360 over a PS3 because of the price. I bought a cheap basic cellphone.

My cellphone is emergencies only. I dont go to films. I despise TV sport and soap operas, along with facebook, bebo and myspace.
I use directories rather than the internet, it is almost garanteed that the company will be in a directory. Since when was the rather small shop, from the rather small city, in the rather small country, findable on the internet?

Earth · Jul 14, 2009, 11:16 AM // 11:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arkantos

Yeah, all that's pretty accurate for me and...pretty much every teenager I know.

Yeah, same for me.

Also, Snog... Aren't you like, really old? <_<

Etta · Jul 14, 2009, 12:00 PM // 12:00

No, he's just really wise and hip.

I'm in mid-late 20th and about half of that is me. I guess being older and having a good income does help overcome some stuff that most teeagers can't. When it comes down to it the basic-core of being a teenager is still the same, being a pain in the ass to everyone as much as possible.

ZenRgy · Jul 14, 2009, 02:42 PM // 14:42

Just asked the three teenagers in my basement (aged 14, 13 and 16) and they all agree.

Avarre · Jul 14, 2009, 03:33 PM // 15:33

A member of the group you're trying to examine is always going to have the most accurate information available regarding it.

Racthoh · Jul 14, 2009, 03:55 PM // 15:55

I hate teenagers.

Quote:

Anything with wires

I think I paid maybe $25 for a PS2 controller, new, whereas a used wireless controller for my xbox360 was $60. Then there is the nuisance of having to change the batteries in the damn thing. Oh sure I could've got one of those rechargeable ones for $100+ but... that's a stupid price...

Snograt · Jul 14, 2009, 04:24 PM // 16:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by Earth

Also, Snog... Aren't you like, really old? <_<

Gee, thanks Earth <3

DreamRunner · Jul 14, 2009, 04:41 PM // 16:41

Some people are going assume how this applies towards "most teenagers" and to people who are a minority, or how it doesn't apply to people as they're considered to be "strange" or "weird". However, it has a lot of assumptions and speaks very generally.

"Teenagers visit the cinema more often when they are in the lower end of teendom (13 and 14) but as they approach 15 they go to the cinema a lot less. This is due to the pricing; at 15 they have to pay the adult price, which is often double the child price"

Oh my god, I go the cinema a lot less because of pricing! No, not really. I went to the cinema to see a movie, but of course the experience of the cinema applies as well. This is to say that I did not go less as a kid as I do today, the reasons I don't go today is because I am more picky about what movies I want to watch. I do not want to waste my time on a movie I do not want to see.

Diddy bow · Jul 14, 2009, 06:30 PM // 18:30

Good Read. Most companies have a very skewered view of what teens are and think, even adverts can be patronising, and its not even deliberate.

Of course you can never use the word "all" correctly with teens but when he does he does it right, sometimes we think we all very unique but in reality we just tell ourselves that quite a bit.

Tyla · Jul 14, 2009, 07:39 PM // 19:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by Inde

How Teenagers Consume Media: the report that shook the City

Curiosity time! Let's see how much this applies to me!

Quote:

Radio

I don't really touch radio, but I have all the music I need... even discounting the few discographies I've gotten from people and *cough*.

Quote:

Television

Not watched television for a while, and when it is, it's DVDs or the odd series on TV. As much as I dislike sport, I'd rather get in the game instead of be a spectator, which I find boring.

Quote:

Newspapers

I don't really touch the news. To me it's the same old "someone died" or "bad things happen", and if it's really bad, it would probably come into my ears some time or another anyway. Or if it's simply overhyped.

Quote:

Gaming

I don't actually play games half as much anymore, despite owning a multitude of consoles. My XBox just acts as an network based media player now.

Quote:

Internet

Hmm, I use the internet for very little nowadays. Forums and that's about it, so I guess that can apply to "social".

Quote:

Directories

I can agree, but I live on the internet anyway.

Quote:

Viral/Outdoor Marketing

Web advertss generate cash for the website's owners, so I can't see them as useless, although they are annoying.

Quote:

Music

I do admit to having pirated quite a lot of music, but at the same time, I have quite a large collection of music that is legal. Though, with my (my as in families, I would help out but I can't find anything for a job) current money status and my hasty attitude, it was bound to happen.

Quote:

Cinema

Pirated dvd's filmed from cinemas are shitty quality, but I don't go to the cinema anymore because of my cash, the amount of friends I have in real life (just like going to a gig, it's boring when you're on your own), and personally I don't like a lot of the movies made today.

Quote:

Mobile Phones

I've not "upgraded" my phone in quite a while, and it wasn't much difference to me as it is a simple one built for simple communication. I just use my Sansa Fuze for my music, and I don't really touch my phone anymore.

Quote:

Televisions

I just have a cheap TV that has some things that sort me out (VGA socket is the only "special" port it has), and don't really want to upgrade.

Quote:

Computers

I disagree with Microsoft Office. I use my laptop for a little socialising with people all over the world, a bit of art (both visual and in literature), and the odd game, but that's really it.

Quote:

Games Consoles

I have a Wii and XBox 360, but again, they are rarely ever used.

Quote:

• Anything with a touch screen is desirable.

Touch technology makes me want to beat a puppy.

Quote:

• Mobile phones with large capacities for music.

I find MP3 players have a much better media quality.

Quote:

• Portable devices that can connect to the internet (iPhones)

As much as I wouldn't mind a more portable piece of kit that can work the internet, I think there are much more important.

Quote:

• Really big tellies

Big tellies mean I've got to concentrate on more I prefer to put as little concentration as possible on it, to have a medium sized screen, and I could keep an eye out on some things... such as cats, making sure they don't do their business in my room.

Quote:

• Anything with wires

I find wired technology has better connection. Wireless networking is nice, but for most things I prefer wires, unless it's things like speakers.

Quote:

• Phones with black and white screens

• Clunky 'brick' phones

A phone is made for communication as far as I'm concerned, so yeah, it doesn't bother me.

Quote:

• Devices with less than ten-hour battery life

Just throw it back on charge.

I'm really surprised that someone in my age group did something like that, to be honest.

I pwnd U · Jul 14, 2009, 08:01 PM // 20:01

Leave it to Tyla to be "different" or try to be "different".

That stuff seems pretty accurate for many of the teenagers I know.

Tyla · Jul 14, 2009, 08:25 PM // 20:25

Aww comeon, can't I atleast put in my input?

Shursh · Jul 15, 2009, 02:52 AM // 02:52

in regards to the falling movie attendance-

i'm in my mid-20's which is no where near this age range, but i've noticed that over the last few years i've really stopped going to a lot of movies in the theatre, mainly for two BIG reasons:

1. the price of movie tickets is outrageous - 10 bucks where i live, more expensive in major cities.

2. movie quality - this one is harder to quantify, but can be attributed to lack of original material (most movie's over the past two years have been either sequels, prequels, or remakes of older movies: the Hulk 2, Indiana Jones, Spiderman 3, Shrek 3, transformers 2, national treasure, terminator, etc. etc.)

so yea, all that to say: if people would stop going to bad movies, people would stop making bad movies.

and before i accidentally offend anyone, none of those that i listed above are necessarily BAD movies (ok indiana jones was pretty terrible), they just aren't very original and make me not want to go spend the money for a ticket.