US Consumers are increasingly relying on non-traditional platforms for entertainment, news, shopping, and other activities, according to a new report from Universal McCann.
The study
The New ‘Digital Divide’, How the New Generation of Digital Consumers are Transforming Mass Communication, reveals that technology is the source of a current generation gap, with a younger segment using new media platforms.
The 16-34 age group is 25% more likely than ages 35-49 to use instant messenger, with over 75% of ages 16-34 currently using at least one service.
The research shows that about 40% of the 16-34 age group belong to a social network site, almost twice the percentage of 35-49 year olds.
The Universal McCann report also revealed that only 10% of 16-34 year old heavy internet users say that they have used IPTV and only 14% have used VoIP.
Television came top when respondents were asked to name which information source they would miss the most, with 27% of 26-34s and 29% of 35-49s saying that they would miss the medium.
David Cohen EVP, U.S. Director of Digital Communications concluded that “there is no doubt that we are moving rapidly from a world of passive receptivity to active engagement. No longer can we simply broadcast our messages to a mass audience and hope that our standard metrics of reach and frequency will guarantee success.”
Recent research from Nielsen/NetRatings said that just over half (52%) of Britons using the internet believe online and digital technology makes their life easier, although half (50%) say that they cannot keep up with the rapid progress (see Digital Consumers Revealed In New Research).
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