How and why kids use media

September 2007

Agenda

• Behaviour – Kids changing use of media

• Motivations – Communication– Forming identities– Playing games– Stories

• What’s out there – Service examples

Behaviour

Media activities regularly performed by children

0%20%40%60%80%

100%120%

Watch TV Playcomputer orvideo games

Use a mobilephone

Use theinternet

Listen to anMP3 player

%

2005 Allaged 8-15

2007 Allaged 8-15

Increasing competition for children’s time from a range of media platforms

• Overall time spent viewing TV has fallen• However, TV remains by far the most popular

medium

Source: Ofcom, 2007

Media activities regularly performed by children by age group

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Watch TV Playcomputer orvideo games

Use a mobilephone

Use theinternet

Listen to anMP3 player

Aged 5-7

Aged 8-11

Aged 12-15

There are pronounced differences in use of media between age groups

• The decline in TV viewing is greatest among older children

• Older children are significantly more likely to use other media devices, particularly mobile phones and the internet

Source: Ofcom, 2007

Competition from other platforms is projected to increase at pace

• Penetration of Internet and mobile phones ownership is already high and is predicted to grow consistently

• Other platforms, such as online games console are expected to experience even stronger growth

Projected growth in penetration of media platforms

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Online

Mobile phone

Online gamesconsole

Source: Screen Digest, 2007

Pre-school Tweens

Children increasingly have the ability to view content when it suits them

• Young children are using quite sophisticated forms of consumption such as on-demand functionality

• A range of channels offer on-demand viewing:

• Screenies is a channel dedicated to offering

on-demand movies to children

Aged 4-7 Aged 8-11 Aged 12-15

TV most popular form of media.

On average 82mins per day spent watching TV, compared to 6mins on a PC

Niche multichannel content popular

There are some clear trends in media behaviour as children get older

Spend on average over 4hrs a week online

45% of time spent viewing TV compared to 14% online

After TV (53%), games (31%) would be missed the most

Spend on average over 8 hours per week online

PC and mobile phone valued significantly more than TV

55% use social networking sites

Interactivity

Multi-tasking

Sophistication

Growing role in use of media

As a result the relative importance children attach to media devices changes with age

• While TV is still important for younger children, older children attach more importance to the internet and mobile phones than TV

TV

More

Internet

Mobile phone

Aged 4-7 Aged 8-11 Aged 12-15

More Less

More

More

Less

Less

Motivations

Children's use of other media seems to be fulfilling traditional needs in a new way

• While the types of platforms used to consume media are clearly shifting, many of the motivations behind media activity are quite familiar.

• Children are fulfilling common needs, including:– Communicating with and meeting friends– Creating an identity for themselves– Playing games– Listening to and telling stories

CommunicatingSocial networking is extremely

popular with teens. Over 65% of 14-17 year olds have a

site profile.

The sites are a powerful trigger for further internet use.

31% say they spend more time on the web in general after starting to use a

social network.

It is a popular platform for chatting, sharing and

discussing with existing friends.

69% use social networks to connect with existing

friends

Girls tend to interact with existing friendships, boys

use them more for chat and making new friends.

70% of girls have social network profiles compared to

57% of boys

Sources:PEW (2007)Never-ending-friending (2007)

Forming identities

New media platforms provide children with accessible ways of

shaping their identities.

55% 8-15’s say electronic gadgets

allow them to make a statement about who

they are

Users can personalize and manage their experience online

more so than with any other form of media

Older children use the internet to express opinions and tell personal stories.

About half of all blogs are authored

by teenagers (13-18)

Sources:Kaiser Family Foundation (2206)Yahoo (2003)Neilsen Research (2006)

Playing games

Boys (8-15) play just under 2 hours a day compared to 36 minutes a day for girls

81% of internet users 12-17 play games online

32% of 8-12’s would miss their games console most compared to only 20% of 12-17’s

Video/online games are popular with all groups but boys spend more time playing games than girls

Online games provide another route for interaction with ‘friends’ and gaming partners

Gaming is more popular among tweens than teens, with teens preferring to socialise online (especially girls).

Sources:

PEW Internet (2007); Universal McCann (2006)

Stories

A significant proportion of older children (12-15) are using the internet to create and watch UGC. Telling their own stories and watching/listening to others.

‘Persistent’ games such as MMOG’s, which take players on a journey through an ongoing story, are hugely popular with tweens and teens

Social network sites such as Bebo and MySpace offer users opportunities to hear personal stories and tell stories of their own

Internet sites and games allow users to create an ‘online self’ so that they can be part of and shape stories in an online world

What’s out there?

The popularity of the Internet and changes in technology have enabled new services to flourish and encouraged non traditional media players to get involved. Examples include…

Club Penguin

Film Street

Adventure Ecology

Sound Junction

Kate Modern & Bebo

Friction TV

Target ageService

Younger

Older

• Target audience: • Designed for 8 – 14 year olds but open to kids of all ages• Content / Interactivity: • Kids select an animated “penguin” profile and wander through the site, much like a “Second

Life” environment. • The website is highly monitored to enable a safer website for the young users • Business model and ownership • Basic content is free but users are encouraged to subscribe for $6/month for full access• Subscription enables the site to be ad free, which builds credibility with families• Success:• 4 million active players / members and 700k subscribers• Having been set up by a group of Canadian parents to provide a safe online environment

for their kids, it has recently been bought out by Disney for $350m

Social networking site aimed at a young audience. A kid-friendly virtual world where children can play games and interact with each other.

Club Penguin

Film Street

Film Street aims to encourage children’s participation and engagement with film. It covers a range of creative talents and provides learning through games, animation and interactivity.

• Target audience: • Primary school children (animation aspect appeals to this young audience). Promotes

three strands of learning: filmmaking, cine-literacy & creativity.• Content / Interactivity: • Provides information on all areas of film-making via an animated “world”; children

can watch educational films, play games and enter competitions • Includes a monitored blog area for kids plus information for parents & teachers• Films can be submitted for inclusion on the website (all uploading is monitored)• The website contains a lot of theory but is communicated in a method that makes it

interesting for kids (animation, casual language, interactivity)• Business model & ownership:• Funded and produced by Culture Online, BFI, UK Film Council and CBBC

Adventure ecologyThe website promotes responsibility for the planet through a series of articles, group discussions, seminars, events, etc. It’s key aim is to provide young users with a voice

• Target audience: • 13 years + (more popular with those aged 15+)• Content / Interactivity: • Create avatar and “save the planet” through games, expeditions and completing

assignments. • A separate Education website has been launched focusing specifically on education

for a younger audience• AE host workshops at their learning centre in central London and make school visits• Looking after the environment is a hot topic. The founder of this website is young,

dynamic and inspirational – a good modern role model for this target audience and highly successful in communicating with them.

• Business model and ownership:• A registered charity, founded by David De Rothschild (environmentalist, adventurer,

explorer)

Sound JunctionEnables users to listen to, explore, discover and create music, promoting a creative and interactive approach to music theory.

It provides a great integration between audio, video and UGC.

• Target audience: • The site is content-rich and therefore suitable for a range of users, from those with

limited knowledge of music to those with significant experience who really want to enhance their skills

• Content / Interactivity:• Highly educational with real interactivity – users can learn about, listen to and create

music (everything from classical to dance).• The user can upload their music to the site for others to hear; make blog comments

on general issues and other people’s music • Business model & ownership:• Produced by the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. • Commissioned by Culture Online

Friction TV

An online platform for user generated news and opinion. Emphasis is on creative, thought provoking user generated content leading to lively debate.

• Target audience: • Minimum age of at least 15+, given the freedom of content. Appeals to wide age

range given the range of topics• Content / Interactivity:• Users can upload videos on any topic, other users can then post comments• Content is monitored for offensive language and controversial topics, but given the

idea of the website is to spark debate, most topics are allowed• Business model & ownership:• Developed by a small group of entrepreneurs from media & digital backgrounds• Backed by private equity. • Success:• Channel Five News is now an official partner and highest rated videos are included in

its news bulletins under a “Your Views” slot

Kate Modern & Bebo

This hugely popular social networking site has created “Kate Modern” a fictional character who users are encouraged to treat as a real friend

• Target audience: • 13 years plus; 34 million registered members. • Content / Interactivity:• “KateModern” is an interactive online drama. Kate is a fictional character but users

can interact by posting notes, videos and are encouraged to participate in the story. • Video updates loaded onto her profile tell her story and the short lead times mean

users comments and feedback can be incorporated into the storyline. • Business Model:• Advertisers were approached from the outset with offers to integrate brands into plot

development.• MSN, Orange Mobile, Paramount and Disney/Buena Vista each paid £250,000 each

for 6 months name-checking in Kate Modern• Success:• 100,000 views on debut weekend, 18,000 fans signed up to Kate’s profile