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Born Free -- New International Study by Research Now With Support of K&A BrandResearch Gives Insight Into How the 'Digital Generation' Behaves on the Internet
[February 20, 2013]

Born Free -- New International Study by Research Now With Support of K&A BrandResearch Gives Insight Into How the 'Digital Generation' Behaves on the Internet


PLANO, TX, Feb 20, 2013 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- The study of 2,490 respondents aged 12 - 17 years old from the US, Poland, Germany and the UK, looked at how this new digital generation connects with the internet, what they do online, and how they feel about digital and traditional advertisements.



The survey found that teenagers in all four markets enjoy unlimited and unsupervised access to the internet. Respondents reported that they are able to go online as long and as often as they wish, they do not need to ask for parental permission, and only in Germany are teenagers required to share internet access with siblings. 62% of the young people surveyed report that they go online every single day -- 46% several times a day. Age does not make a big difference when comparing the amount of time teens spend on the net. There is no sudden explosion in internet use at the age of 16; more a gradual increase in the amount of time spent online as children age. Of those who go online several times a day, 11% are 12 years old and 21% are 17 years old. Teenagers in the UK and Poland use the internet 20% more often than their counterparts in Germany and America.

Why teens go online The top reason why teens go online, cited by 92% of respondents, is to find out information -- 'looking up things I don't know.' The second most popular activity is finding out about events and what's happening, with 83% of teens doing this. Next, young people use the internet to research public transport and 'window shop' (researching and browsing for items), with 74% saying that's why they go online. Teenagers in Poland use the internet to search for and purchase products more frequently than their international counterparts. Overall, only 35% of teens say they actually purchase items online. After 'window shopping,' the most popular activity is playing games, with 73% of teens going online to do this.


Devices used to access the internet Roughly one-third of the teens surveyed from each country go on the internet most often via a PC or laptop. The additional two-thirds reported accessing the internet through a tablet, smart phone, video game console, television or other device. According to the survey, 27% of British teens go online via their smart phones, whilst fewer American (11%), German (9%) and Polish (2%) teens use their smart phone to get online.

What teenagers search for and buy Music and CDs are the most popular items to search for online. Teens in Poland, however, search for online games more than music (64% in Poland as opposed to 59% in the US; 57% in the UK; and 56% in Germany). Shoes are also a popular search item among British (62%) and Polish (57%) teens, but not as popular among German (53%) and American (42%) teens.

When asked about a list of items respondents have ever searched for on the internet (including books, music, films, clothes and electronics), fewer American teens (36%) reported having searched for mobile phones on the internet; whereas their counterparts in Poland (58%), Germany (53%) and the UK (55%) use the net to search for mobile devices more often. Finally, teenagers in all four countries agreed that it didn't matter much which smart phone they had. Only 21% reported that the iPhone was the only smart phone for them.

Ads on or offline -- what's most annoying Despite national differences, teens generally have more favorable attitudes towards traditional print or TV advertisements than online ads. Around 30% of the teens surveyed like to talk about non-digital adverts with their friends. Roughly half of American, British and Polish respondents recall traditional advertisements, but less than a quarter said the same about online advertisements. According to the survey, teens from Poland are the most annoyed by offline adverts (28% of them), whilst 50% of British teens are more annoyed by online adverts.

About the methodology The study, conducted by Research Now, surveyed 2,490 teens aged 12 to 17. Respondents were recruited directly through their parents who provided consent for their teenager to participate in the study. The survey was designed by K&A BrandResearch. Interviews were conducted via Research Now's youth panel in each of the following four markets: Germany, Poland, the United Kingdom and the United States. To ensure a safe and robust sample, quotas were set on age and gender across all four markets.

About Research Now Research Now, the leading digital data collection provider, powers market research insights. We enable companies to listen to and interact with the world's consumers and business professionals through online panels, as well as mobile, digital and social media technologies. Our team operates in 25 offices globally and is recognized as the market research industry's leader in client satisfaction. We foster a socially responsible culture by empowering our employees to give back. To find out more or begin a conversation with us, visit www.researchnow.com.

If you want to find out more about K&A BrandResearch(R) please visit www.ka-brandresearch.com.

Press Contact: Heather Milt Manager, Public Relations +1 425 313 4844 Email Contact SOURCE: Research Now http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/emailprcntct id=47ADE331A1348578

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