Teens, Mobile & Games An Overview of Pew Internet Data Amanda Lenhart FTC Brownbag May 28, 2009

Teens, Mobile & GamesAn Overview of Pew Internet Data

Amanda LenhartFTC BrownbagMay 28, 2009

May 28, 2009Teens Mobile Games

Methodology

• RDD surveys with teens 12 to 17 and a parent or guardian– Sept-Nov 2007 (n=700)– Nov-Feb 2008 (n=1102)

• Focus groups


Teens and their tools

• 77% of teens 12-17 own a game console• 74% of teens 12-17 own an iPod or Mp3 player• 71% of teens 12-17 own a cell phone• 60% have a desktop or laptop computer• 55% have a portable gaming device like a DS or

a PSP


Mobile phone ownership growing

• Mobile phone ownership is way up:– 45% of 12-17 year olds had them in 2004– 63% in 2006– 71% in early 2008.

• Computer ownership is stable at least over the past two years

• 88% of parents have mobile phones• 75% of adults have a mobile phone• Caveat: Concept of “ownership” varies from device to

device


Who has a mobile phone?

• Age is very important – huge bump up in mobile phone ownership at age 14 – 52% of 12-13 year olds have a mobile phone– At age 14 jumps to 72% – By 17 - 84% of teens have a mobile phone

• No gender differences in ownership• No significant difference in mobile phone ownership by

race/ethnicity• Some differences by socio-economic status – but mostly a

minor bump up in the highest income and education brackets.• Internet users more likely than non users to have a cell phone

– thought 50% of non-users have a phone.


Teens and phone use

• 88% of teens talk to friends on a landline• 67% of teens talk to friends on a cell phone

– 94% of teens with cell phones use them to talk to friends• 58% of all teens have sent text messages

– 76% of teens with cell phones have sent textsDaily:51% of teens with cell phones talk to their friends on the cell phone

every day43% of teens send messages through online social networks daily38% of teens send text messages to each other daily32% of teens talk on their landline everyday29% spend time with friends in person26% send instant messages everyday16% send email daily


Teens and phone use: Voice

• Girls more likely to talk on any kind of phone – landline or mobile.

• Age isn’t a factor in landline use• Older teens with a cell phone much more likely to talk on

cell phone everyday;• Younger teens with a cell phone tend to use them for voice

calls a few times a week or less• Suburban kids a little less likely to talk on cell phone

everyday; no difference by locale in cell phone ownership.


Teens and text messaging

• Text messaging daily up since 2006– 27% of teens texted daily in 2006– 38% text daily in 2008

• 54% of social network users have sent texts or IM through a social network site.

• Girls more likely than boys to text• Older teens 15-17 also more likely to text message.• No racial/ethnic differences in texting• Slight bump up in frequency of texting by income• Not using twitter yet, via mobile or any other way.• Not really going online w/ phone; but this is changing


What teens aren’t using:Likelihood of Twitter use by age


Other mobile devices

Portable game players (Nintendo DS, PSP)• Owned predominately by younger teens 12-14 (67% vs.

44%)• Drops at age 14• Boys more likely to own (61% of boys have one, 49% of

girls)• No difference in use by Race/Ethnicity or SES• PSP: Skype calling and IM, internet, RSS feeds• DS(i): Pictochat (w/in 30-65), wireless gaming (30-65ft),

WiFi gaming,

May 28, 2009Teens Mobile Games October 18, 2008

97% of teens play video games

• 50% of teens played games “yesterday.”• 86% of teens play on a console like the Xbox,

PlayStation, or Wii.• 73% play games on a desktop or a laptop

computer.• 60% use a portable gaming device like a Sony

PlayStation Portable, a Nintendo DS, or a Game Boy.

• 48% use a cell phone or handheld organizer to play games.


Most play many games

• 80% of teens play five or more different game genres, and 40% play eight or more types of games.

• Girls play an average of 6 different game genres; boys average 8 different types.


Game Genres

We asked about 14 different game genres• 74% play racing games (NASCAR, Mario Kart)• 72% play puzzle games (Tetris, Solitaire, Bejeweled)• 68% play sports games (Madden, FiFA, Tony Hawk)• 67% play action games (GTA, Devil May Cry, Ratchet &

Clank)• 66% play adventure games (Legend of Zelda, Tomb

Raider)• 61% play rhythm games (Guitar Hero, DDR)• 59% play strategy games (Civilization, StarCraft)• 49% play simulations (The Sims, Rollercoaster Tycoon)• More….


Game Genres, Cont.

• 49% play fighting games (Super Smash Bros, Tekken, Mortal Kombat)

• 47% play first person shooters (Halo, Counter-Strike, Half-Life)

• 36% play role playing games (Final Fantasy, Knights of the Old Republic)

• 32% play survival horror games (Resident Evil, Silent Hill)• 21% play MMOGs• 10% use virtual worlds


MMOGs and Virtual Worlds

• 20% of teens use MMOGs– 30% of boys have played

them; 11% of girls

• 10% of teens use virtual worlds– Boys just as likely as girls– Younger teens more likely

than older teens: 13% of 12-14 year olds; 8% of 15-17 year olds.

• Daily gamers more likely to play MMOGs and in Virtual worlds

Image courtesy of rosefirerising via flickr under creative commons

Thank You!

Amanda Lenhart

[email protected]

http://www.pewinternet.org

mailto:[email protected]

Teens, Mobile & Games An Overview of Pew Internet Data Amanda Lenhart FTC Brownbag May 28, 2009

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