How are young people using social media?

How are young people using social media?

Analysis commissioned by DIUS from Forrester’s EuropeanTechnographics study

Steph GrayDIUS Social Media

September 2008

Rebecca JenningsForrester Research

2

Technographics survey: July 2008

• 14,193 respondents across Europe, of which 2,006 in the UK

• This survey is based on online consumers who are members ofIpsos-MORI online panel

• Ipsos weighted the data by age, sex and online tenure todemographically represent the online adult European population percountry

• Ipsos fielded the survey in July 2008 and motivated respondents withvarious incentives

• Confidence interval of around + or - 3% when the data is analyzed atUK level

3

Question areas

• How often you use the internet• How many hours are you actively online each week• Where you go online from• What else you’re doing while you’re online• What kind of online activities do you do

• Putting your own opinions, videos, music and photos online• Contributing to, organising or “tagging” content on websites• Consuming content, including social content, on websites

• How often you visit social networking sites• Main social networking site• What you did the last few times you visited• Attitudes towards social networking sites• Attitudes towards virtual worlds

4

Most young people are online every day – but nomore frequently than internet users generally

Base: 154 13-15 year olds, 107 16-19 year olds, 1586 16-64 year oldsSource: Forrester Technographics Media and Marketing Study Q3 2008

How often do you go online?

5

They go online from a greater variety of places

95%

95%

95%

11%

85%

57%

38%

1%

13%

14%

39%

50%

6%

6%

7%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Age 16-64 inc

Age 13-15 inc.

Age 16-19 inc.

At any other place (e.g.

internet cafe)

At a friends' place

At work

At school/college/

university/library

At home


Go online at the following locations (multiple answers allowed)

6

For young people, internet use is a social activity

11%

11%

22%

41%

43%

35%

19%

55%

54%

3%

5%

43%

32%

42%

55%

54%

58%

72%

2%

10%

32%

46%

49%

64%

56%

63%

66%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Never do anything else while

online

Read newspapers/magazines

Play computer/PC games

Telephone people

Listen to music/radio (not on your

PC)

Listen to music/radio on your PC

Have friends over

Have the TV on

Eat

Age 16-19 inc

Age 13-15 inc

Age 16-64 inc

What do you do whilst using the internet/emailing at home?


7

They watch less TV and surf more than adults: but TVstill takes up more time

2.0

1.5

3.7

1.9

6.7

2.0

3.4

9.7

14.0

0.5

1.2

1.5

3.5

2.0

6.0

5.0

8.3

12.2

1.9

2.3

3.7

4.4

4.8

5.9

10.6

11.7

0.8

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14

Reading paper newspapers

Reading paper magazines

Using the Internet for work

purposes

Playing video games on a

computer

Listening to the radio

Playing video games on a

console

Watching videos/DVDs

Using the Internet for personal

purposes

Watching TV on a TV (not on a

computer)

Age 16-19 inc.

Age 13-15 inc.

Age 16-64 inc

Hours per week


Hours per week spent:

8

Young people are far more likely to visit socialnetwork sites, or watch content from other users

31%

40%

24%

41%

24%

30%

35%

11%

53%

64%

54%

74%

56%

28%

25%

23%

67%

77%

57%

66%

56%

37%

31%

22%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Update/maintain a profile on a social

networking site

Visit social networking sites

Read blogs

Watch video from other users (e.g.

YouTube)

Listen to or download audio/music

from other users

Read online forums or discussion

groups

Read customer ratings/reviews of

products or services

Listen to podcasts

Age 16-19 inc

Age 13-15 inc

Age 16-64 inc

Frequency of visiting/consuming social content (at least monthly):


10

Income/social grade doesn’t seem to be a keyinfluencer when it comes to social media

Base: 2006 Online UK ConsumersSource: Forrester Technographics Benchmark Study Q3 2008

Frequency of visiting/consuming social content (at least monthly):

11

Commenting more popular than editing wikis, usingRSS or taking part in forums

26%

13%

11%

18%

3%

4%

7%

5%

51%

35%

10%

16%

3%

3%

8%

8%

62%

36%

12%

21%

4%

6%

13%

7%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Add comments to someone's profile

on a social networking site

Comment on someone else's blog

Post ratings/reviews of products or

services

Contribute to online forums or

discussion groups

Contribute to/edit articles in a wiki

Use RSS (Really Simple

Syndication) feeds

Add labels or tags to Web pages,

online photos, etc."

Vote for websites online

Age 16-19 inc

Age 13-15 inc

Age 16-64 inc

Frequency of contributing to social content (at least monthly)


13

One in four young people are bloggers, and rising

11%

8%

6%

12%

10%

4%

31%

17%

12%

16%

19%

8%

25%

19%

20%

25%

18%

3%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Publish, maintain or update

a blog

Upload video you created

to a public website

Upload audio/music you

created to a public website

Upload photos to a public

website

Publish or update your own

Web pages

Write articles, stories,

poems etc. and post them

online

Age 16-19 inc

Age 13-15 inc

Age 16-64 inc

Frequency of putting own opinions/content on the internet (at least monthly)


15

Usage of IM, YouTube and main social networkingsites is particularly high amongst young people

Percentage of consumers who use these sites on a least a weekly basis

6%

8%

29%

2%

11%

19%

7%

31%

27%

22%

69%

8%

10%

41%

5%

38%

16%

43%

29%

66%

53%

76%

10%

7%

54%

7%

54%

16%

31%

32%

51%

40%

68%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Windows Live Spaces

Google Groups

Facebook

MSN Groups

MySpace

Wikipedia

Bebo.com

Yahoo!

You Tube

MSN

Google

Age 16-19 inc

Age 13-15 inc

Age 16-64 inc


Probably reflectsthe popularity ofMSN Messenger

16Base: 154 13-15 year olds, 107 16-19 year olds, 1586 16-64 year oldsSource: Forrester Technographics Media and Marketing Study Q3 2008

Social networking is a daily habit for at least aquarter of young peoplePercentage of consumers who use these sites on a least a daily basis

17

Bebo dominates amongst early teens, though losesground to Facebook and MySpace as they get older

Which is your main networking site?

Base: 2006 Online UK ConsumersSource: Forrester Technographics Benchmark Study Q3 2008

18

How young people use social networking sites issimilar to everyone else - perhaps more ‘social’?

15%

17%

17%

18%

28%

29%

30%

43%

49%

56%

62%

66%

11%

19%

23%

23%

34%

10%

37%

55%

63%

73%

75%

81%

14%

12%

17%

27%

29%

17%

27%

57%

65%

69%

75%

78%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Joined a group

Added an application

Took a quiz

Looked at profiles of people I don't know

Updated my status

Searched for someone that I used to know

Sent a friend/connection request

Posted/updated my profile

Looked at my friend's photos

Sent a message to someone

Looked at profiles of people I know

Read updates from my friends

Age 16-19 inc

Age 13-15 inc

Age 16-64 inc

Done on last visit to social networking site

Base: 124 13-15 year olds, 93 16-19 year olds, 920 16-64 year olds who visit social network sitesSource: Forrester Technographics Media and Marketing Study Q3 2008

19

Attitudinally, young people feel virtually no differentabout social networks than others

11%

18%

14%

19%

18%

30%

45%

49%

80%

13%

18%

20%

21%

24%

32%

40%

48%

76%

13%

15%

17%

22%

20%

26%

49%

42%

78%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

I have added a brand as a friend on a social networking site

I'm comfortable receiving advertising on social networking sites

based on my profile/activities

I think more highly of brands or companies that my friends have

connected to

I use my network to ask questions and to look for information

Brands should create special applications or provide unique

content on social networking sites

I'm annoyed by the number of friends &/or application invites

sent to me on social networking sites

I spend less time on social networking sites now compared to a

few months ago

I am very concerned about my privacy on social network sites

I generally tell the truth on my social network page/profile

Age 16-19 inc

Age 13-15 inc

Age 16-64 inc

Percentages of online consumers who agree:

Base: 124 13-15 year olds, 93 16-19 year olds, 920 16-64 year olds who visit social network sitesSource: Forrester Technographics Media and Marketing Study Q3 2008

20

Few young consumers seem interested in virtualworlds (but do they know what they are?)

36%

29%

28%

50%

42%

50%

8%

11%

9%

2%

3%

6%

8%

2%

3%

8%

6%

1%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Age 16-64 inc

Age 13-15 inc

Age 16-19 inc

I have never heard of virtual worlds before this survey.I have heard of virtual worlds, but I'm not interested in joining oneI have heard of virtual worlds, and I am interested in using one.I belong to at least one virtual world, but rarely visit it

I belong to at least one virtual world and often visit itI used to visit some of these virtual worlds, but am not using them anymore


“A virtual world is a computer-based simulated environment intended for its users to inhabitand interact via virtual reality. This type of virtual world is now most common in massivelymultiplayer online games (e.g. Second Life). Have you ever heard of virtual worlds?”

21

Publish a blogPublish your own Web pagesUpload video you createdUpload audio/music you createdWrite articles or stories and post them

Post ratings/reviews of products/servicesComment on someone else’s blogContribute to online forumsContribute to/edit articles in a wiki

Use RSS feedsAdd “tags” to Web pages or photos“Vote” for Web sites online

Maintain profile on a social networking siteVisit social networking sites

Read blogsWatch video from other usersListen to podcastsRead online forumsRead customer ratings/reviews

None of the above

Engagement with social media is high amongstyoung people

Groups include people participating in at least one of the activities monthly.

10%10%29%

79%84%59%

77%66%40%

21%15%11%

44%47%27%

42% 43%19% Creators

Critics

Collectors

Joiners

Spectators

Inactives

16-64 13-15 16-19

22

Summary (i)

• Going online is a social experience, not just a solitary one

• Young people watch less TV and listen to less radio than general onlinepopulation, watching DVDs, playing video games, and surfing instead

• Much bigger users of multimedia content online: podcasts, music, video

• Every day, half of younger teens use IM, a third visit YouTube and aquarter use social networking sites

23

Summary (ii)

• Young people read blogs and use social networking much more thanaverage internet users - and nearly one in three are active bloggers

• But they aren't social media geeks: they comment on things, but very fewuse RSS, wikis, tagging - or virtual worlds

• Maybe because they are less prolific consumers, reviews and ratings are alower priority for young people

• Bebo is the leading network for younger teens; Facebook/MySpace forolder

• But nearly half say they're spending less time social networking online thanbefore, and a similar proportion are very concerned about privacy - in linewith what other internet users say

24

Challenges and implications

• If young people surf with friends, what does that mean for theonline experiences we design for them?

• As media consumption fragments, what will integrated marketingcampaigns aimed at engaging young people look like in future?

• Where are the appropriate online spaces to engage young peoplewith public service messages?

• How do we learn from talented young bloggers and commenters?• How much tech savvy can we assume young people have?• How we do address the privacy concerns of young people?

Technology

How are young people using social media?