16-30 year olds spending more time online than watching TV
New research has found that 16-30 year olds in the UK are spending more time online (an average 19 hours per week) than watching TV (an average 15 hours per week).
The study, carried out by lifestyle consultancy Tuned In Research, also found that online brand engagement has spread across social media, with over half (55%) welcoming brands’ involvement on social networks and nearly a third (31%) being members of a group connected to a brand or product.
On top of this, a fifth (21%) have used a branded widget (eg Trip Advisor’s ‘Where I’ve Been’ Facebook application) and 22% have sent a branded, virtual gift to a friend, lover or relative.
The research study into the digital behaviours of 16-30 year olds in the UK comprised a 1,000 person online survey, ethnographic qualitative research and industry opinion-former interviews.
The study also highlighted that the internet is fast becoming the primary source of entertainment for this age group. For example, BBC’s iPlayer and Channel 4’s 4oD have shifted a considerable amount of TV viewing online with 40% claiming to watch TV programmes over the internet at least once a week.
Heading to YouTube is even more popular, with 56% going to the site at least once a week and nearly a quarter (21%) visiting every day. It is social media that dominates online activity, said Tuned In, with on average nearly half (45%) of all time online spent on social networks, and for 47% of 16-30s their profile page is the first website they check when they go on the internet.
However, this contrasts with recent research from Ball State University and ExactTarget which found that 18 to 34 year olds in the US are more influenced by email and direct mail than marketing messages via social networks.
The Tuned In study suggested that, whilst they are online, 16-30 year olds are incredibly willing to engage with brands, although only on their terms. Intrusive advertising is not welcomed at all, with 82% getting annoyed by pop-ups however nearly two thirds (62%) welcome online advertising that is targeted at their interests. Over half (52%) have searched out a video advert on YouTube and the same proportion have actively visited a brand’s website for a purpose other than purchasing a product or service.
Douglass Dunn, co-founder and managing director of Tuned In, said: “We have learnt from this and much of the work we do, that young consumers are very happy to digitally engage with brands, so long as they are rewarded in terms of value. And value to this market can mean a number of things from entertaining content, useful tools that enhance their lifestyle activities to the social currency that exclusive information and access can give them.”