Children’s Online Video Consumption
In November Dubit’s head of research, Peter Robinson, presented at Ofcom’s UK children and parents – media use and attitudes seminar.
Dubit’s research focused on children’s online video consumption answering questions such as where do they do it, for how long, and what’s popular?
You can View the whole presentation below. Visit our contact page to get in touch if you have any questions about the study.
Why one teenager wishes Facebook didn’t exist
Guest post by Stephanie Whitley.
I’m 19, and I genuinely wish Facebook hadn’t even been started.
Yes, I use it daily; I have it synced to my phone so I don’t miss a wall post, a status update, or a photo tag. As much as it hurts me to say it, I probably couldn’t live without it, but for me, teenage life would have undoubtedly been easier without it.
Next time you’re on Google, type in your name, see what comes up. When I type in my 13-year-old sister’s name I see her Facebook profile, her address, and even her phone number. Privacy settings? I Doubt she even knows what they are.
How many Facebook ‘Friends’ do you have? 100? 500? 1,000? My 13 year old sister bragged to me she had “nearly 600 friends!” When I asked her how she knew that many people, she just rolled the eyes, and replied with “I don’t, but it’s a big number isn’t it?”
Schools need to start educating their students by updating their own knowledge on social networks, and then educating 13-year-old girls (and others) on the dangers of having a public profile or accepting people that they have never met before. If I asked my sister who Ashleigh Hall was, and how she died, I wouldn’t get the answer that was all over the media last year.
There is also the stress and pressure of being entertaining, and getting Likes. My sister uploaded a profile picture and it only got two Likes in the space of about an hour, so she changed it. Isn’t this the opposite of what was drummed into us all at school? That you shouldn’t care what people think about you, as long as you’re happy? Of course this causes insecurities, jealousy, and unhappiness. But that’s another issue altogether.
Of course, this isn’t specific to girls in their early teens. I have friends who do it too. They will post pictures of themselves in their prom dress and be genuinely upset if their picture receives less likes than their friends. Hurtful comments are nothing new, it’s just Facebook makes them more visual.
We’ve all seen the stats, heard the reports, and most likely experienced cyber bullying. For me, Facebook makes it easy. It removes the face-to-face, personal element of bullying, and makes it even easier for those insecure bullies by simply putting a screen between them and the victim. It’s almost as if Facebook removes the consequences from the act, as bullies think that they can just, get away with it.
I understand that there are many advantages to Facebook, but I’d struggle to say the good outweighs the bad. Sure, it allows me to manage parties and share photos but teens have been doing this for years, without Facebook or even the internet.
I’m still using Facebook; the company knows being connected to our friends is more important to teenagers than another demographic and takes a brave teen to step away from this, I just hope more can be done to protect and educate those just starting out on the social network.
Youth Trends – Hauling
Teenage girls talking about their High Street bargains? No it isn’t the latest show to come to MTV, it’s a new youth trend taking over YouTube!
Definition - haul: In short: a shopping spree a vlog titled “Makeup Haul” or “(Store Name) Haul” is a video showing a shopping spree in that given area, showing products or clothing that will usually be featured in future How To, or tutorial videos. (Source Urban Dictionary)
Who’s doing it? –Teenage girls. It’s big in America and is a gaining momentum in the UK.
What is it? – The trend for teenage girls to show off their latest purchases through the medium of YouTube. Sometimes it’s bragging about bargains, reviewing clothes, or just showing the store bags they have and what’s inside.
So it’s an American thing? The biggest Haulers are American but it’s by no means unique to the US with UK teens getting involved too.
Are we talking about designer products? As most of the products are bought by the Haulers, it’s usually restricted to the High Street. Brands such as H&M and Forever 21 seem to attract most of the attention.
They’re being paid for this? No, not often: most just like to talk about their shopping. The fact that the girls are spending their own money adds to the charm.
Are brands involved at all? Some brands (mostly US ones) have started to see the benefit of targeting Haulers: these include Urban Outfitters , Forever 21 and cosmetics brand ELF. Some simply send the Haulers free products, others host Hauling competitions.
Does this sound familiar? It does. They are the female equivalent of the men unboxing videos they record themselves opening their latest gear or gadget.
Who should I watch? The Queen of the Haulers is Blair Fowler, otherwise known as JuicyStar07. Her videos attract over half a million views and she has been nominated for a Teen Choice Award, which she explains at a frantic pace in this video. Most Haulers don’t get close to this level of fame but you might want to check out UK based Dollybowbow and HollyYMBB who have 35,986 and 8,822 subscribers respectively.
Will it last? As long as there are teenage girls who enjoy shopping and making videos then this trend has legs.
Carry on the debate on Twitter with the #dubittrends hashtag.
QR Codes could be a winner with teens – if only they knew what to do with them
Research conducted using our monthly Direct to Youth Digital Omnibus suggests that a lack of awareness is preventing Quick Response (QR) codes from achieving their full potential as brands look to engage teens through their phones.
The special barcode allows smartphone users to get access to information by photographing the image using free software. As they have gained in popularity, QR codes’ use in marketing campaigns has become commonplace as brands look for new ways to engage their audiences through their mobile phone. However, with 72 per cent of 11-18 year olds either not having or not being aware that they have the software to read QR codes, these brands may be missing out on a significant proportion of their audience.
Our research questioned 1,000 teens aged between 11-18 years of age with an equal balance between gender and age. When shown an image of a QR code only 43 per cent correctly identified that it could be read by a mobile phone while 19 per cent admitted they didn’t know what it was. Eight per cent of girls suspected it might be a magic-eye picture.
Although QR codes have become part of marketing lexicon – the same can’t be said for the playground. Only 33 per cent of those questioned correctly identified the image as a QR code, with 22 per cent believing it was called an RFID tag and 12 per cent labelling it as an infograph.
A positive note for marketers is that despite only 19 per cent of teens having used software to read QR codes, 74 per cent of those who have used say it was worth doing so.
Paula Cubley, head of marketing at Dubit said: “Although this research highlights a lack of awareness with teens, it goes to show that when the technology is being used it is being done affectively. What’s missing is the messaging alerting teens to the opportunities. Marketers can’t just stick a QR code on a poster or in an advert, teens need to be told what to do with them. It might even be advisable to suggest places to download QR code readers. Considering teens are very much attached to their mobile phone this lack of awareness is surprising.”
The benefits and various applications for QR Codes have been widely promoted through the marketing press, with 2011 being seen as the year QR codes go mainstream. However, Dubit’s research shows that the most desired application for teens is to receive vouchers or exclusive content to their phone. Automatically ‘liking’ the brand on Facebook was the least attractive option closely followed by being taken to a brand’s web presence or Facebook page. Both of these examples appeared below the relatively mundane option of receiving directions to the brand or store.
The opportunity to receive a ringtone or wallpaper, or view an advert or make the current advert interactive all ranked joint third for desired application.
Ms Cubley added: “It might not be rocket science that teens like discounts and exclusive content but what is interesting is that they are prepared to receive such content through the use of QR codes.
“Historically, when compared to Americans, Britons have been adverse to using coupons and vouchers. However, the popularity of Groupon and the promotion of Facebook Deals and Foursquare have made the practice more acceptable. What our research shows is that QR codes may be the way to get these vouchers into the hands of teens.”
The survey was undertaken using Dubit’s monthly Direct to Youth Digital Omnibus. The survey offers brands the opportunity to quiz the agency’s panel of over 40,000 children, young people and families.
Youth not convinced of Foursquare app
Methodology
An on-line line focus group using Dubit clickroom technology with 7 participants (mix of genders) ranging from 16 to 19 years old
Key findings
Facebook loved for its simple layout
All of the participants in the group were frequent users of facebook and were drawn to it by the “large percentage of friends using it and a wide range of functionality”; with the majority saying it was good for keeping up to date with “events, photos and updates into friends’ lives”. They were also keen on the simplicity of the layout, which meant the site overall was easier to navigate and engage with. Most had accounts with other social networking sites (twitter, myspace, foursquare, bebo, et al) but have a lesser interest in using them regularly to connect with their friends.
Blogging is like marmite: They either love it or hate it!
On the subject of blogs, the participants seemed to fall into two distinct groups: those who use blogs regularly and intensely, and those who didn’t use them at all; there appeared to be no middle ground of casual users. However those who didn’t use them, did hold the opinion that they are a good way of voicing and accessing opinion.
Phone and computers serve different needs for Social Networking
The trend for accessing social networking sites seems to be to use a phone for fast and convenient updates, and to use a computer when spending longer amounts of time posting information and organising social events with friends. The main deterrent from using a phone for a wider range of tasks being: the speed at which pages load and the inferior appearance of the mobile versions of the main social network sites.
Foursquare pushes the level of openness too much?
On a related topic, one participant mentioned how sites such as foursquare “compromise safety” through the speed at which your current location is made available.
No real negative feelings towards adverting on social networking as long as the brand is relevant……with brands appealing more than actual products
All the participants were aware of the rise in companies using social networks as a space for advertising, and had contrasting views on their usage. Some argued that the ‘personalisation’ and ‘targeting’ of ads was intrusive, whereas others held the opinion that this style of advertising was a convenience, as it aimed at their specific interests. On the whole the group were more tolerant of brand ads as opposed to product specific ads, as they felt a brand was more likely to appeal to them than a certain product. However the users said they would only ever click on an ad 5-10% of the time. One user also mentioned that they regarded ads for “fake” or ‘imitation’ goods with suspicion, as they didn’t feel they could trust the site it linked to.
Dubit Knowledge 28/5
Teens & Media Consumption:
We were reading Morgan Stewart’s recent on article on GenY: As They Age, So Do Their Motivations for Going Online and how it details what young people use the internet for such as Hunting for Information (20%) and Looking for Deals (20%) and it made us cast our minds back.
Remember just under a year ago, Matthew Robson caused something akin to mild terror across cyberspace with his version of how young people consume media. Of course, one person’s point of view does not make a consensus so at the time, Dubit did some real research into teens actually thought about Twitter. It’s almost a year on since we published it so in the next few weeks so, as well as the open house focus group, we’ll be repeating the study on what the UK youth think of Twitter in 2010 and seeing how perceptions have shifted over 12 months. If you have questions that you’d like to submit for the study, then email sam.brown@dubitlimited.com.
As a slight aside, you’d think that by the amount of time Justin Bieber was a trending topic, then teens own Twitter!
Enterprise : So the Junior Apprentice is entering its fourth week and it’s just like the ‘adult’ version – full of back biting, emotions and enterprise (Sarah Newton has a good review of it here). Having started as Young Enterprise company 10 years ago, Dubit can certainly relate to young people being entrepreneurial and as this blog shows, entrepreneurship is still alive in UK youth. There are a lot of positives to be taken from Enterprise Education and teens engaging with businesses as it will help create the business leaders of tomorrow and as Your Hidden Potential have just interviewed 17 year old entreprenueur Emil Hajric from Bosnia about his new venture, it’s creating the business leaders of today too! (Emil is still a teen though…his favourite TV programme is the Cleveland Show!)
Seven Trends : Graham D Brown has detailed 7 Trends That Will Rock Marketing from his upcoming book and highlights Crowd Sourcing as one of the trends. This is something Mountain Dew are leading the way with their DEWmocracy campaign – and even GE are getting the picture and thinking of crowd sourcing. Also, another key insight when marketing to young people, as Aiden Livingston highlights in a excerpt from his new book The Secrets of Advertising to Gen Y Consumers, is to always remember that small is big.
New Campaign: Toyota are launching the Scion tC later this year and they say the current Scion has the ‘youngest median-age buyer — around 25 — of any vehicle in the industry ’. Accordingly, they’ve come up with a suitably youth orientated launch campaign to back it up with a Facebook roadtrip from New York to Miami to LA with the winners getting to do it for real!
Teen Research: Online privacy is a big talking point at the moment, especially given Facebook’s recent announcement. Business Week back this up with an article saying Millennials are extra keen on their privacy, however the Washington Post argues they are also most at risk for ID theft. This is sure to continue to be an issue, with people still thinking that the Facebook announcements still aren’t enough.
FREE ONLINE FOCUS GROUP!
On June 3rd at 1400, you can watch a one hour focus group of 6-8 13-15 year olds giving us their thoughts and feelings on media consumption, Twitter, FourSquare and things that adults can learn from young people.
And it’s free!
This is part of the unveiling of the newest addition to the Dubit Research arsenal – The Click Room! The Click Room is Dubit’s unique virtual viewing facility – used for focus groups or meetings with people from anywhere in the world – and all from the comfort of your home or office.
If you would like access to the event, email jonathan.clough@dubitlimited.com and we’ll provide you with the details on how to login.
Teens and Social Networks
Facebook is used everyday by 65% of people aged 15-24, with another 12% stating they use it 2-3 times a week. Only 12% say they never use it.
18-21s are the heaviest users (70% everyday), 22-24s the lightest (59% everyday).
11% of 15-24s use MySpace everyday, 8% 2-3 times a week, and 7% weekly. 46% never use it and 29% only use it ‘every so often’. Younger groups use it more often (18% of 15-17s everyday; 8% for 18-21s and 22-24s).
There is anecdotal evidence that MySpace is used by people who want more customisation functions, more linked to ‘creative’ types. It is used by many small bands to publicise their work, organise gigs and generally network. Specific ‘tribes’ of young people, such as Emos seem to appreciate the customisation potential, designing personal profiles that match their youth identities.
Bebo is used by 8% of 15-24s everyday, 6% use it 2-3 times a week. Bebo is used mostly by younger group 15-17, with 15% using it everyday and 9% 2-3- times a week. Among older group 22-24 only 3% use it everyday.
The use of other SNSs such as Hi5 or Piczo is very low.
Virtual worlds such as Habbo and Second Life are used by small numbers of people, and rarely. 93% never use Second Life, 4% use it every so often, just 2% weekly. Habbo is used every so often by 6% of people (12% among 15-17s), 90% of 15-24s never use it.
A 15 year old’s view point on Social Networks
We asked Dubit member, Claudia, for her thoughts…
“By definition, a social network is a social structure made up of individuals or organizations tied by specific types of inter-dependency, such as friendship or a relationship of beliefs. In reality, a social network is much more than this…
My personal preference is Facebook – the UK’s most popular social networking site – for the simple reason that everyone is on it; why would I need to sign up to anything else when all my friends are on one large network?
I find that there is also a certain satisfaction to using these social networking sites – Facebook in particular allows us to see into other people’s lives without having to ask: this summer’s holiday, or perhaps last weekend’s antics all readily available in just a few clicks.
However, as amazing as these social networking sites are, they all have downsides. Safety is a huge issue: parents understandably panic over letting their children post all their personal information online where almost anyone can access them. Although networking sites are becoming a lot more cautious about identity theft, there is still the available option some choose to allow anyone on the net to look at their personal information.
MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, Friendster; any social networking site you can think of all have the unavoidable problem of false identity – anyone can create an account, pretending to be someone they’re not. This could lead to cyber-stalking and even harassment – definitely not something we want to face.
So is it really worth the risk just to waste precious hours of our lives chatting to our friends in a more effortless, impersonal and lazy way, when actually we should be encouraging our youth to develop their communication skills in person and get outside rather than stay at home in front of the computer screen all day?
Personally, I think they are great creations – the gift of virtual conversations is one we should appreciate and social networking sites such as Facebook take this one level higher. However there is an unhealthy level of addiction – especially among young teens – that will inevitably become worse over the next 5 years.
So, what I’d like to see from these social sites is a more real approach: removing the many pointless applications that appear for people to use, such as ‘HonestyBox’. Such applications are there for one thing and one thing only, to generate money.
This is something that we are now subject to from an early age: advertising.
Will it decline over the next 5 years… no!! Social network sites are big news, both in advertising and revenue. Since their humble urban beginnings, they have quickly turned into money driven juggernaut hurtling towards the big city – with their sights on the financial district.
So… where will social network sites be in 5 years time? Who knows…maybe the new T.V?”
Dubit have made their name conducting real research with real young people that gives a representative view point of what the UK youth are actually thinking. We continually run our own internal research so we always know exactly what the youth are thinking at all times.
