Tweens, Media Preferences of

If there is one word that describes tweens' relationship with media, it is multitasking. Unlike any generation before them, today's tweens are surrounded by a dizzying array of media choices, a phenomenon they have learned to negotiate by consuming multiple media at the same time—talking to a friend on a cell phone and instant messaging another friend on the computer while the television plays in the background.

The exact origin of the word tween is disputed, but it generally refers to youth between the ages of 8 and 12 (although some marketers identify the demographic as extending to age 14). According to the 2000 U.S. Census, there are roughly 20.9 million tweens between the ages of 8 and 12, a figure that increases to 29 million if one includes those up to 14 years old. Studies show tweens spend $40 billion on their own each year and influence billions more in parental purchases. Worldwide, tweens spend more than $300 billion a year and influence an additional $1.88 trillion in parental or family spending. Network executives, advertisers, software designers, and technology manufacturers have all taken note of tweens' importance as media consumers and marketing targets.

For example, after years of being ignored by television programmers, tweens have become the darlings of the television industry worldwide, with Nickelodeon, the Disney Channel, and the Cartoon Network engaged in a fierce battle to be the network-of-choice for these young viewers. Media industry executives acknowledge the lucrative nature of this audience, but they also point out the difficulty of reaching them, in part because of their penchant for multitasking. A recent study reported that more than 50% of tweens do something else while watching television, including listening to music, reading, or using a computer. Another study reported that 21% of tweens (ages 8 to 12) report radio listening while watching television; other activities reported while watching television were 22%, instant messaging; 50%, computer use; and 54%, magazine reading. Moreover, studies show younger tweens report a stronger affinity for television than do older tweens. In fact, when it comes to media choices, another study found that if they had to choose, tweens would give up television before they would give up the Internet. These findings are supported by a March 2005 study by the Kaiser Family Foundation [Page 837]that found that tweens (ages 8 to 14) spend roughly 3¼ hours with television daily, while older teens watch only about 2½ hours a day.

Indeed, the above-mentioned Kaiser Family Foundation study is one of the best sources for information on tweens' media preferences. A study of some 2,000 youth ages 8-to-18, the findings reveal that youth ages 8 to 14 spend about 1 hour a day playing videogames as opposed to the half hour spent by older teens. When it comes to music listening, those in the 8-to-10 range spend 59 minutes per day listening versus the hour and 42 minutes per day spent by 11-to-14 year-olds and 2 hours and 25 minutes per day spent by 15-to-18-year-olds. Similarly, younger tweens spend less time using the computer each day, with 8-to-10-year-olds reporting 37 minutes a day, 11-to-14-year-olds reporting 1 hour and 2 minutes a day, and older teens reporting an hour and 22 minutes a day. While not statistically different, tweens (ages 8 to 14) do report watching more television than do older teens (3 hours and 16 minutes versus 2 hours and 36 minutes).

...