Men in the 18-34 age group view more web pages and spend more time online than the average internet user, according to a study by comScore Media Metrix.
US media and advertising companies have begun to express concern at the apparent decline in television viewing among young males. One theory is that this key demographic is switching attention to the internet.
comScore states that 27 million men in the US between the ages of 18 and 34 were online in September. They spent an average of 32 hours online during the month, 17% above the national average of 27 hours.
Moreover, internet consumption is particularly high among young men. The 18-34 year old group viewed an average of 3,370 web pages in September, compared to 2,645 pages for all internet users. Popular site categories include gaming, adult content and sports.
comScore found that the internet is slightly more popular among males aged 18-34 than females of the same age. Men account for 53 percent of internet users in the age group compared to an equal split of males and females in the US population. Men aged 18-34 consume nearly 20% more pages than their female counterparts.
“The fact that more than 75 percent of 18-34 year-old men in the U.S. are using the Internet seems to take at least some of the mystery out of the decline in TV viewing among this prized demographic,” said Peter Daboll, president of comScore Media Metrix. “Given the heavy Web usage patterns we see in this segment, marketers clearly can reach this prized demographic – quickly and efficiently – through interactive marketing.”
