18-34: the age group to watch
p2pnet.net News:- More 18- to 34-year-olds are online than any other age group, says a survey just released by the Online Publishers Association.
And they’re more likely to engage in downloading, sharing and burning music and videos online and are more avid consumers of online video content than any other age group.
“Notably, 18 to 34 year-olds account for a significantly larger share of Internet usage relative to their proportion in the total U.S. population,” says the study, going on:
“While 18 to 34 year-olds comprise only 24% of the total U.S. population, they account for 38% of the total time spent online and 40% of the total pages viewed. This skew is even more pronounced among men in this age group.”
And because this group represents the first ‘generation’ to have grown up with the Net, “their behavior patterns are a harbinger of future media consumption of the population at large,” states OPA executive director Michael Zimbalist.
People aged 18 to 34 are most likely to go online at home, from work or from school, but they’re significantly more likely than other age groups to log on from other non-traditional locations, says the study.
“For example, within 30 days of the survey date, 24% of 18 to 34 year-olds accessed the Web from a friend/relative’s home, 16% accessed the Internet via cell phone, and 8% accessed the Web from a library – a significantly higher percentage than any other age group.
“Eighteen to 34 year-olds feel a perpetual need to stay connected. This group expects to get online whenever they choose and wherever they are.”
Not surprisingly, 82% said they’re comfortable with new technologies, and more than one-third claim that they are among the first within their peer groups to buy the latest technology gadgets.
In fact, “18 to 34 year-olds are significantly more likely than the average Internet user to own a number of digital devices,” says the OPA, and more than any other age group, they see the Net as one of the most important sources of entertainment using it both as a primary source of entertainment and as a resource for entertainment news and information.
“Forty percent use the Web to help choose a movie to watch (and to find out where/when it’s playing), while about one-third use it to view local restaurant and club listings,” the OPA adds.
