Today younger generations are the first that are entirely wired, and they are changing marketing, technology and communications, according to a new eMarketer report, "Kids & Teens: Blurring the Line between Online and Offline. According to the study, kids and teens make up 19 percent of all U.S. internet users. That's 18.8 million teens and another 14.1 million children. About 73 percent of teens 12-17 and 39 percent of children 3-11 are online regularly.
Blogging, gaming, online shopping, email/text messaging, and multitasking are covered in the report, according to which the way that teens use the internet and digital devices provides a view into the world of tomorrow.
Ato Debra Aho Williamson, eMarketer senior analyst and author of the report, "marketing to this dynamic, fragmented population is challenging. But companies are beginning to tap nascent opportunities in broadband video, immersive environments, mobile marketing and instant messaging."
"Instead of pushing content at teens, sites should find ways to let teens have some say in the material," Williamson says. "Giving teens a sense of ownership is a powerful draw."