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Breaking news: Kids still bored
August 07, 2006
A new Los Angeles Times poll of teens and young adults finds that kids are about as unimpressed with Internet media as they are with traditional media. The poll's results suggest, according to the paper
that the revolution in entertainment, media and technology for which many in Hollywood are already developing strategies has not yet taken hold. For example, respondents say that traditional sources such as television advertising and radio airplay still tend to drive their decisions about movies and music more than online networking sites. Those interested in keeping up with current events report a surprising interest in conventional news sources, especially local TV news. And although many see their computers as a perfectly good place to watch a TV show or a movie, there does not appear to be widespread desire to take in, say, "Spider-Man 3" on their video iPods.
The findings about news-gathering habits seem particularly interesting. Only 10% of teens and 11% of people in their early 20s said that they consider online news sites, including blogs, as their "best source" of news. That seems to further underscore something I wrote about a couple of days ago: that, contrary to popular assumptions, there doesn't seem to be any substantial generational shift from mainstream media to the Internet when it comes to the news. Even for the young, the web looks like a supplement, not a replacement.
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Comments
Findings about low levels of Web 2.0 fascination are completely consistent with what I found in my study of over 1,300 mostly first-year college students (at an urban public university in Chicago, UIC). For example, political blogs are the least likely types of blogs and interactive sites young users seem to visit.
Posted by: eszter ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.roughtype.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at August 7, 2006 03:36 PM
I'm reading the whole week-long series with interest and finding similarities with my behaviour (at that time in my life, just as today, I always multi-tasked) but also interesting differences inspired by technology. I just cannot contemplate not focussing on a movie in the cinema but know that many do.
That seems to present an opportunity for cinema owners to offer (for want of better descriptors) salon experiences for people like me as well as circus experiences for texters. Though it's notable that only 2% actually admitted to informing friends about a movie DURING it.
Posted by: johndodds at August 8, 2006 06:52 AM
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