Teens Not Into Twitter, TV, Radio, or Newspapers, Reports Young Morgan Stanley Intern
Matthew Robson, a 15-year-old intern at analyst firm Morgan Stanley recently helped compile a report about teenage media habits. Overnight, his findings have become a sensation...which goes to show that people are either obsessed with what "the kids" are into or there's a distinctive lack of research being done on this demographics' media use. Robson's report isn't even based on any sort of statistical analysis, just good ol' fashioned teenage honesty. And what was it that he said to cause all this attention? Only that teens aren't into traditional media (think TV, radio, newspapers) and yet they're eschewing some new media, too, including sites like Twitter.
Teens Say "No Thanks" to Newspapers, Radio, and to Some Extent, TV
According to Robson's report (available here courtesy of the Financial Times), today's teens don't really consume any of what you could call "traditional" media. For example, notes Robson, they don't read newspapers because why bother reading "pages and pages of text" when they could instead "watch the news summarized on the internet or TV?"
They're also not interested in listening to the radio. Although they may occasionally tune in to various stations, they prefer online sites like Last.fm where they can stream music ad-free and, more importantly, where they get to pick the playlist - not some unknown DJ.
What's more surprising, perhaps, are Robson's statements about teens and TV consumption. He says that his peers still watch TV, often tuning into a particular season of TV show or sporting event like football, but the group of "regular TV watchers" who tune into daily programs is shrinking. Also, teens watch less TV than ever before thanks to online streaming services like BBC's iPlayer. (Robson lives in the U.K.). When commercials come on, teens, unlike more patient older generations who grew up without fast-forward buttons and DVRs, simply change the channel.
Internet and New Media
Given that teens aren't into old media like newspapers and radio, you would think that they would be adopting the latest new media crazes like Twitter in droves. Apparently, that's not the case. In fact, Robson says teens see no point in using Twitter. "Most have signed up for the service," notes Robson, "but then just leave it as they realize that they are not going to update it." The teens realize that no one is viewing their profile, so they see tweeting as a pointless activity, he adds. Besides, to update Twitter via text message takes credit (referring to cell phone text plans) and they'd rather use that credit to text their friends.
Twitter aside, most teens are into the Internet. They use Facebook for social networking (so it's not just for "old people?"), they search and research topics with Google, watch videos on YouTube, and download music for their iPods from file-sharing sites. Although that last one is an illegal activity, Robson says it's still very popular since teens are very reluctant to actually pay for music.
Finally, when it comes to online marketing, teens do like viral campaigns but see banner ads and pop-ups as annoying and pointless. They tend to ignore them entirely and never click through.
Teens and Mobile
Although teens may be envious of modern smartphones with Internet data plans, they tend to not own these types of devices because they're too expensive. Instead, teens typically use their phones simply for talking and texting. Video messaging and video calling are also not popular, again due to cost. Teens don't bother with mobile email either, not needing to be hyper-connected to their inboxes like the adults are. However, one thing teens do use their phones for (outside of chatting and texting) is sharing music files with their friends. They do this using Bluetooth, since the service is free and most phones now support it.
Author's Note: Share music via Bluetooth? In reading that, I immediately felt old. Not only have I never done this myself, I didn't even know people did this. Were you aware?
Do You Agree with Robson?
Morgan Stanley notes that Robson's piece "provides one of the clearest and most thought-provoking insights we have seen" and that's why they published it even though they don't have statistics to back up his statements. But by doing so, they're saying that they believe what he reports is accurate and representative of today's teens media consumption.
Of course, without hard data, a report like this has to be taken with a grain of salt. Still, in reading through it, nothing sounds all that shocking or revealing. That's probably because on some level we already know what Robson says to be true. Today's "digital natives" have grown up surrounded by technology and the Internet, so naturally they're not going to be as interested in old media the way older generations are.
Do you agree that the trends Robson notes are real? Or have you seen behavior that contradicts what he reports?
Image credit: flickr user Paulo Fehlauer
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Not a surprise at all...I could of told you that...
My question is who does this kid know that he has an internship at Morgan Stanley?
I think the answer is "anything you don't" ;)
Posted by: alphaxion
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July 13, 2009 6:13 AM
I do agree with Yasser, it is not a suprise at all. I have compiled there some post about genY. Most of them have been written last year... Bank industry still have something to worry about id they discover this phenomenon so latetely.
http://www.pearltrees.com/Francois/map/1_27889/
Something called a Jonas brother.
Posted by: Chris Menning
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July 13, 2009 6:45 AM
Themselves. Those are the years where the world is all about you. [I think- it's been a long time....]
Posted by: Abby Martin
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July 13, 2009 6:52 AM
"why bother reading 'pages and pages of text' when they could instead 'watch the news summarized on the internet or TV?'"
I'm pretty sure teenagers were saying the same thing in the 1960s after television hit critical mass.
I've been reading this article for years now and the only thing that's surprising is that Morgan Stanley believes this 15-year old offers "one of the clearest and most thought-provoking insights we have seen." If that's the case, what the hell are all of their other analysts doing?
Teens like NOT liking things.
Posted by: Bec Rowe @d0tski
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July 13, 2009 6:58 AM
How does a 15 year old get internship at Morgan Stanley?
My Teenager likes video games and MacRumors forums.
Posted by: Robert Scoble
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July 13, 2009 7:01 AM
Oh, and girls. :-)
Posted by: Robert Scoble
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July 13, 2009 7:01 AM
i am a teen WE ARE INTO FACEBOOK and TV, im a geek so im into twitter but thats just me
Posted by: Andrew
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July 13, 2009 7:05 AM
and don't forget FB and Myspace... they like that... @Robert not very suprising considering his dad ..
Posted by: Sebastiaan van den Akker
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July 13, 2009 7:05 AM
Old news really. These trends have been taking place over the course of the past year. Apparently it is time to listen because this kid is 15?
myspace and texting.
Posted by: Carlos Ayala
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July 13, 2009 7:14 AM
well, they like ALL of them. It would be wrong to think they are consuming only ONE channel. The new generation (includes me) consumes all the ways of communication, all at the same time .)
Posted by: bora "head" basman
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July 13, 2009 7:14 AM
though we can all see myspace dying a slow death....
Posted by: Carlos Ayala
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July 13, 2009 7:15 AM
How else would you share content if not over bluetooth? W-LAN definitely isn't established enough.
@James:
Q:'what the hell are all of their other analysts doing?'
A: writing the legal disclaimers.
did you notice that the content is on 4 pages and the disclaimers on 4 other?
i'm not gonna miss myspace.
Posted by: Dead Silence
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July 13, 2009 7:31 AM
While I am a few years older than this report writing intern, I can pretty much agree with everything that he wrote. I don't know a lot of people that watch TV just for the sake of something to do, but I do have several friends that leave ESPN on their TV all day just to see the latest highlights and whatnot.
And what he said about Twitter seemed spot on of just about everyone I know that has set up an account. Usually one or two tweets later there is kind of the "This is like facebook without pictures" revelation.
Yup, he is right. I wrote something similar a few months ago ...
http://socialapp.wordpress.com/2009/03/07/facebook-status-and-twitter-updates/
Read the next quote very carefully:
"Morgan Stanley notes that Robson's piece "provides one of the clearest and most thought-provoking insights we have seen" and that's why they published it even though they don't have statistics to back up his statements. But by doing so, they're saying that they believe what he reports is accurate and representative of today's teens media consumption."
1.
THEY DON'T HAVE STATISTICS TO BACK UP HIS STATEMENTS
So this story is basically about some kid's intuition?!?
2.
It seems to me that a kid with an internship at Morgan Stanley is hardly a good representative for the average American teen...
3.
Morgan Stanley and ReadWriteWeb just lost a lot of credibility points with me. This story is some of the most irresponsible reporting I've encountered lately...
Mike
@pop_art
Much of what's in this report reflects either what we already know or can deduce through being 'connected'. Though lacking robust data for backing, I'm almost certain that if any research were to be conducted now, it would support Robinson's findings.
What's surprising, however, is that it's caused such a stir in corporate circles. As several comments have indicated above, it seems the only significant detail the report reveals is that Morgan Stanley et al. are far more detached from the 'real' world than previously imagined.
I'm an Italian science teacher. Trends among my students (aged 14 to 19) are almost exactly those described by this kid. In Italy, Facebook is the big thing nowadays among teens. Also chatting on MSN, but a bit less lately. They don't use Twitter and (generally speaking) don't even know what a blog is. Television is used as a source of some "white noise" while chatting and studying and texting (yes, all at the same time).
Um. Tell us something we didn't know. This is the same old story: someone meets a kid, or has a kid, or watches their kid with the kid's friends, and suddenly they've had a revelation. This is neither startling nor insightful.
Yeah, we know the kids like facebook, though in declining numbers. We know they aren't into Twitter...the numbers tell us that. Most of them have signed up? Please. The numbers would be much higher if most teens had signed up.
I wish they'd done an actual survey than getting some kid to tell them their internet habits.
60% of our 17-19 year olds here at school don't know what a blog is. Take that, "net generation".
This is the lamest reporting I've seen in a while; are we sure this isn't an Onion article?
1- I agree with Mike, this kid might not be the average teenager out there (level of education, connectivity, device ownership and so forth)
2- Then as RWW said "Without any hard data, a report like this has to be taken with a grain of salt"
3- I would really like to know what Mary Meeker (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Meeker) would think about that report?
I'd definitely agree on Twitter. I'm a gen Yer and many of my friends see no value in Twitter. A lot of teens I know are absolutely obsessed with Facebook, every time I log on they post something new.
Yup, Facebook. It contains possibly everything a teenager could want: pictures (from friends of both genders), games, quizzes, etc. Also consider Facebook's massive popularity. Teens may not be into Twitter because they don't know anybody on it. With Facebook, they're nearly guaranteed to find somebody that they know on there.
Posted by: Rishabh Mishra (p248)
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July 13, 2009 9:02 AM
His comments re Twitter confirm what I've said all along - it's NOT for friends and family; it's for business and brand promotion, whether it's a personal or corporate brand.
Right. A "study" from a 15 year old who observes what his friends are doing (who all come from well off families and have all the latest technology), and then assumes that the rest of the world is exactly the same. This is bull.
Nielsen came out with a far more comprehensive study on how teens use media that backs them up with numbers. And blows away a number of the assumptions made in this so-called "study:"
http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/reports/nielsen_howteensusemedia_june09.pdf
Anyone who believes this Morgan Stanley study at face value gets what they deserve.
Hardly anyone (comparatively) is on twitter. It's a total niche service at the moment; it's just one that happens to gets a lot of attention.
Why is Morgan Stanley getting so excited about this? This teen is an analyst intern, yet includes no statistical information in his report? This is more of a special feature report for a newspaper or magazine, as it only goes off of one person's thoughts.
I would like to post on here because I feel I have insight that may be being overlooked. While this may be relevant insights for trying to reach the teen market, they only stay in this demographic for a limited time. I am a recent college grad with a dual degree in marketing and management and am in the working world now. I was a freshman when facebook came to my campus and that was when it was still at a limited number of colleges in the USA. I've seen it evolve and grow and while I still use it, I also use twitter and linked-in and other social media websites.
As far as the news and newspapers go, most teens don't eat this stuff up like other things, but that changes as people grow and learn, and it happens fast. I can give as credible as research as the boy in this article that kids on college campus' still read newspapers, just walk into a lecture hall and see it litered with the campus paper, NYT, and USA today, but that I did not read the newspaper when I was in high school or a teenager. The longer I was in college and the more I grew up, the more current events and increased knowledge was important to me so I eventually, although delayed, picked up the same habits that adults have had for the past 50+ years.
Now, onto twitter. I love twitter and have started using it constantly. It is not facebook without the pictures as someone has said, that person obviously is not using twitter to its full potential. It is a great source for news and a more personal relationship with companies, corporate entities, entreprenuers, and friends all at once. Facebook, while still being valuable for keeping in contact, sharing photos, or taking a dumb quiz a friend sends you, lacks the capabilities to link instantly to another profile and its not set up for the 140 blurb with a link included into an article with insight that you personally picked to read. Twitter is why I am reading this article, it bounced around and was retwitted and ended up in my feed. If I was only on facebook, my mind would be a vegatable.
While my younger friends from college and some my age have yet to adopt twitter, the longer they are out of college, the more likely they are to have it. It becomes important for work and knowledge. Twitter isnt huge in teens and college kids yet because it isnt necessary. Its not where you can see the picture of that party last weekend and figure out where the next bash is tonight. Just give them time, and when they grow up a little bit, teens and the 18-23 demographic will adopt twitter or whatever social media takes its place. Let them figure out who they are and it will appeal more because twitter is not a site for being cool or finding friends, its about tailoring information and entertainment to the individual. For that to work, the individual has to know who they are first and what they want.
While this article is still important, its not the end of the world. Teens do have spending power, but not for most of the companies and brands that reach users through newspapers and twitter. Somebody for gosh sakes use creativity to reach these demographics instead of crying that they don't use twitter what will we do? Why do people want to reach someone on a platform that that demographic is not ready to understand yet?
Try teens in Japanese or Korean market. I'm pretty sure you'd get something quite different from UK teens. I think it might be "accurate" regarding UK teens, but internationally? "No, thanks".
I completely agree with Yasser. None of this is new information. What's bad is there are people out there who are hearing this for the first time.
I also agree with Miss Expatria, Twitter is for professionals, networking and brand promotion not socializing. None of my college friends are on Twitter either. If it weren't so prevalent in the news most people wouldn't even know what it is. If I didn't need to know about it for my job I would have left if a long time ago.
What can we learn from this? High school students pay for NOTHING. College students pay for only the bare minimum. And professionals with pay for ANYTHING.
Additionally, I think the "real" point is "Pay-as-you-go" or "contract". And this "report" proves that it really matters on the way people consuming contents on mobile platforms.
With Facebook losing 600,000 college and high school user last month, it seems many Facebookers & Tweeters are eager for the new Social Networking site to come [http://bit.ly/1oCiF]
This could be huge.
@SEO Blog Reader - wouldnt that be because of graduations last month? If facebook lost 600,000 college and high school users last month wouldnt that mean that some of them are not college/high school students anymore? Just because they lost that many college/high school users doesnt mean that they left Facebook, maybe theyre just in a different group now, dont you think?
More than what they do, it is what they're likely to do in the future that marketers/innovators should look at based on this data. They'll be the business spenders a decade from now and what habits they'll have then is likely to be influenced by those that they have now ..only influenced..not quite the same.
@SEO Blog Reader: That's a very vague press release!
I am 48 years old and interact with media and the internet exactly like Matt outlines here. I dont even own a TV. Everything is delivered through internet means. Hell, since the wireless folks cant get an all in one device right I use wireless pretty similar to the kids here as well. I think most people need to get over it already, this is the new social paradigm and will evolve even quicker in the future.
Anyone in GenY is going on 30 years old. Teens aren't Gen Y.
Why does anybody care what a 15 year old's personal feelings (eg. not statistical in any sense) on the use of these services are? The account of 1 teen in the UK does not reflect the usage patterns to any significance. Not to mention there is nothing special stated. It's all standard, obvious conclusions. Where's the intriguing insight? Why is this even getting coverage?
I don't understand why Morgan Stanley would release this report the public. Aside from the fact that it was written by a 15 year old (and reads that way), the claims made within are purely speculative (hours watching TV, hours playing games, % of teens who illegally download music, % of teens who own mobile phones, etc). I understand they have a disclaimer at the top, so I don't understand their intentions. If anything, they should have passed around this report internally, had expert analysts draw up a proper study, and then packaged the results. The personal beliefs of one Matthew Robson are truly of no relevance to anyone. I only hope his generation will understand this, and learn that information is sacred and that we all have a responsibility to perform due diligence before passing belief on as fact.
Of course kids aren't into twitter! What does it provide a teenager that facebook doesn't already - and better?
Would you be surprised that LinkedIn doesn't have a younger crowd either?
Same goes for email and voicemail, although for different reasons: both are far too slow for digital natives.
ROTFLOL.
In tomorrow’s Times newspaper, there’s an interview with Matthew Robson and his mother in which they explain how he got his internship. She was walking the dog and bumped into another dog-walker by accident. He happened to be Patrick Wellington, a senior financial analyst at MS.
Synchronicity? Serendipity? The Super Being of SocMedia moving in mysterious ways?
LOOOOOOOOL.
Oh and how does the Times entitle its article?
“TWITTER IS FOR OLD PEOPLE, WORK EXPERIENCE WHIZ-KID TELLS BANKERS” !!!!!!!!!!!!
* http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article6703399.ece?Submitted=true
OLD people, indeed!!! LOOOOOOOOL! There go the hopes of socmedia hipponistas.
I agree with Tyce. My teenage friends (university first years - i'm 39 but we lived in halls) use also used their mobiles for making amateur porn which they share using bluetooth. It's not really porn because it's joke, but then it sort of is - they did it in big groups after getting drunk at parties and i sneak out the room in embarrassment. They all loved facebook hot or not, I think old people forget how important sex is at that age. Finally, they always nagged me about the unhealthiness of drinking coffee and tried to make me give up, but now they've got jobs they're nearly all equally addicted. Am I the only person who uses twitter to follow interesting strangers?
It is really hard to take this seriously. The intern wrote a two-page essay on what he thinks of media/social media technologies, used his personal anecdotal experiences as reference, and it's given actual air time.
There's not even an attempt at any sort of research investment whatsoever here, and it should probably be given the same investement by its readers.
I mean, congrats on the kid for getting his 15 minutes of fame on the Internet, but, really RRW, come on. You usually warn us before running an advertiser's white papers.
I teach 13-16 year olds... here are my observations (self-reported when I can't observe directly)
• none use twitter, some use FB, more use MySpace
• all text
• one student I know has an iPhone, none have any other smartphones
• a lot of kids have iPod Touches, so many dl apps, free of course... 95% have some sort of iPod or listen to music on their cell, the balance seems to be 60-40 separate iPod... I see 2 or 3 non-Apple mp3 players (like Zune) per year, many fewer than PSPs, for example
• they all know Limewire, some small percentage won't use it
• every kid who runs Windows gets virus/malware of some kind
• digital native? ha... take away texting and their computer use is very low relative to connected adults, see Nielson's new survey for stats on same
Teens are teens. They are expected to enjoy the outdoors and moreover this is old news. My dad as a teen thought it was boring to read a newspaper and he would rely on information gained by speaking to people.
C'mon which average kid goes online to listen to BBC
Im not sure what the sensation is all about.
Publicity tricks have no limit these days..
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