Study: Teens dropping rags, radio for web, games, and TV

David Chartier

Ars Technica

June 20, 2008

A new study reminds us of a trend we'd rather not think too much about: teens and "tweens" are reading less, instead spending more time surfing the web, playing games, and watching TV.

The Tween & Teen Lifestyle Report is conducted twice a year (spring and fall), with the most recent study carried out in March 2008 (the results were just published). This time around, 1,182 teens (ages 13 to 17) and tweens (ages 8 to 12) were interviewed in-person, and the results confirm a continuing three-year trend of kids putting down the magazines and books, and picking up the mouse, controller, and remote.

According to the survey, 63 percent of teens read a magazine for fun in the last month, which was down from 65 percent the same time last year. Magazine readership among tweens dropped even farther to 48 percent from 52 the year before, and 55 percent two years ago. Among teens that are still picking up reading material for fun, only 19 percent said they spent more time reading this year than last.

Digital and electronic media consumption are up across the board. Teens spent an average of 12.5 hours online in a single week, up from 10.7 hours last year. Tweens are up to 6.5 hours from 5.2 last year. While teens said that e-mail is for "old people" two years ago, Youth Trends' study cites e-mail, IM, and casual gaming at the top of the online activities list. YouTube, Facebook, Google, and MySpace are popular destinations for teens, while Webkinz, Nick, YouTube, and Disney adorn the bookmark lists of tweens.

Teens are watching slightly more TV this year, up to 11.9 hours per week from 11.6 last year. Strangely, tweens spent even more time than teens in front of the television with 12.2 hours per week, up from 11.8 last year.

Mobile phone ownership is up from 65 percent last year to 73 percent among teens, and 26 percent of tweens also owning a phone. Text messaging is cited as the primary activity, though it's feasible that owning a phone may also contribute to time spent on the Internet with the new surge in mobile phone sites.

While Youth Trends' study found radio listening to remain flat largely due to the lack of control teens and tweens have in the car, the last notable statistic covers the surge in video game usage. As gaming is expected to become a $68 billion business by 2012, it should come as no surprise that three in four teens and tweens own at least one console or portable gaming system. Teens and tweens are also planning to buy 3.1 games this year, up from 2.5 last year.