According to a new report from Pew Internet and American Life Project, mobile phone use has climbed steadily among teens. From 2004 to 2006, mobile phone use grew from 45% to 63%, and up to 71% in early 2008. Our Alert Shopper Series #5 examines this demographic.
Our in-person interviews provide insight into teen mobile usage, receptivity to message alerts and the increasingly important role the mobile phone will play in the future for this group. The teens we surveyed depend on their mobile phones throughout the day for a variety of functions, and find themselves checking text messages or phone calls frequently.
According to a recent comScore report, the most popular mobile activity for teens is texting (74%) and instant messaging (13%). Our video interviews highlight how essential this device is to teens, and that they welcome relevant text messages and monitor for messages throughout the day. Check out Oriana, a 19-year-old who checks her text messages while she’s out shopping, and Nick, a 16-year-old who doesn’t mind being interrupted to receive a message about a good sale going on.
A new report on Nielsen Wire shows that teens are now out-pacing the growth of the total mobile online audience, and texting outpaces calls by a factor of 10x among 13 – 17 year olds. One thing is for sure: teens have their phone next to them every waking hour of the day. Check out Rashane, an 18-year-old who has her phone with her all day, even beside her bed and in the shower!
Another common thread among the teens we interviewed is their phone will become even more of an important communication tool for them in the future. Teens rely on their mobile device to stay connected and are most embracing of technological advancements – they even welcome mobile ads. According to a recent Nielsen Global Devices Insights Report, the teenage demographic group is the most accepting of mobile advertising; the acceptance rate declines as age increases.
But don’t take our word for it – see for yourself in the video below:
