Most Tweens Accessing TV, Music and Internet on their Phones, Do So at Home

    SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- The Nielsen Company today
 released the findings of an in-depth study on the mobile media and cross
 media behavior of U.S. "tweens" (ages 8-12).
 
 

     The report estimates that:
      * 35% of tweens own a mobile phone.
      * 20% of tweens have used text messaging.
      * 21% of tweens have used ring & answer tones.
     While text-messaging and ringtones remain the most pervasive non-voice
 functions on the phone, other content such as downloaded wallpapers, music,
 games and Internet access also rank highly among tweens.
 
     According to Nielsen, 5% of tweens access the Internet over their phone
 each month. While 41% of tween mobile Internet users say they do so while
 commuting or traveling (to school, for example), mobile content such as the
 Internet is also a social medium for this audience: 26% of tween mobile
 Internet users say they access the web while at a friend's house and 17%
 say they do so at social events.
 
     Young mobile users are also turning to their phones for in-home
 entertainment:
 
 
     * 58% of tweens who download or watch TV on their phone do so at home;
      * 64% of tweens who download or play music on their phone do so at home;
      * 56% of tweens who access the Internet on their phone do so at home.
     "Tweens use their mobile phones, and media in general, in very unique
 and important ways," said Jeff Herrmann, VP of Mobile Media for Nielsen
 Mobile. "Marketers and media executives need to understand these 'digital
 natives' as they mature and reshape the way we all think about new and
 traditional media."
 
     Regarding cross media behavior of tweens, Nielsen reports that tweens
 spend less time surfing the Internet than their teen counterparts. In this
 report, 48% of U.S. tweens said they spend less than one hour per day
 online. When they are online, 70% of tweens use the Internet for gaming.
 Comparatively, 81% of U.S. teens say they spend one hour or more per day
 online, with e-mail being the most pervasive online activity for this age
 group.
 
     "In addition to the differences between adult and youth media
 consumers, there's an important gap between the media behaviors of teens
 and tweens," said Herrmann. "This report, which includes insights from more
 than 5,500 teens and tweens, dissects how these demographic segments are
 engaging with mobile and traditional media."
 
     The report, "Kids on the Go: Mobile Usage by U.S. Teens and Tweens,"
 was conducted by Nielsen Mobile and BASES, two services of Nielsen. It also
 provides insights on teen and tween use of specific content brands, genre
 preferences, overall use of leisure time and demographic profiles. The full
 report will be released on December 14.
 
     Methodology
 
     Nielsen's research combines insights from survey responses of more than
 5,500 teens and tweens from the BASES ePanel. BASES has extensive
 experience interviewing children and follows strict guidelines, considering
 attention span, comprehension and other factors of the age group. Tween
 interviews were paired, where the adult panelist sat with the child. This
 results in a average participation rate of 65%. Additional data was
 supplied from Nielsen Mobile's "Bill Panel" of more than 40,000 wireless
 lines as well as the third- quarter results from Nielsen Mobile's
 75,000-person Audience and Behavior panel.
 
     About Nielsen Mobile
 
     Nielsen Mobile, a service of The Nielsen Company, is the world's
 largest provider of syndicated consumer research to the telecom and mobile
 media markets. After completing its acquisition of Telephia, Inc. in August
 2007, The Nielsen Company launched Nielsen Mobile to integrate Telephia's
 telecom expertise with Nielsen's global media and marketing research
 capabilities. For more information, please visit www.nielsenmobile.com.
 
     About BASES
 
     BASES, a service of The Nielsen Company, provides services that help
 its clients achieve growth through successful innovation. BASES offers a
 broad range of services related to innovation strategy and new initiative
 qualification, optimization & commercialization. BASES is known for its
 analytical and forecasting expertise, predictive metrics and an unmatched
 ability to connect with and interpret consumer needs around the world.
 
     About The Nielsen Company
 
     The Nielsen Company is a global information and media company with
 leading market positions in marketing information (ACNielsen), media
 information (Nielsen Media Research), online intelligence (NetRatings and
 BuzzMetrics), mobile measurement, trade shows and business publications
 (Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, Adweek). The privately held company is
 active in more than 100 countries, with headquarters in Haarlem, the
 Netherlands, and New York, USA. For more information, please visit,
 www.nielsen.com .
 
 
 

SOURCE The Nielsen Company