New OPA study shows 72 percent of 18- to 34-year-olds are online -- as often as they can be.
A new Online Publishers Association (OPA) report confirms that 18- to 34-year-olds are more frequent and active Internet users than any other age group, counting on it stay connected and be entertained.
In the first of a series of research studies conducted in partnership with comScore Networks, the OPA reports that 72 percent of this group is online. That's the highest percentage of any age group, accounting for 35 percent of the total time spent online and 40 percent of the total pages viewed. This, despite the fact that 18- to 34-year-olds comprise only 24 percent of the total U.S. population. Males in this age group skew even higher.
"The recent debate surrounding the shifting media consumption patterns of 18- to 34-year-olds demands a deeper look into this important consumer segment," says Michael Zimbalist, executive director of the Online Publishers Association. "Because this group represents the first 'generation' to have grown up with the Internet, their behavior patterns are a harbinger of future media consumption of the population at large."
Anywhere, Anytime
These 18- to 34-year-olds are most likely to go online at home, from work or from school. However, this group is significantly more likely than other age groups to access the Web from non-traditional locations. For example, within 30 days of the survey date, 24 percent of 18- to 34-year-olds went online from a friend or relative's home, 16 percent via cell phone, and 8 percent from a library -- a significantly higher percentage than any other age group.
"Eighteen to 34-year-olds feel a perpetual need to stay connected. This group expects to get online whenever they choose and wherever they are," says Zimbalist.
Eighty-two percent of these consumers report that they are comfortable with new technologies, and more than one-third claim that they are among the first within their peer groups to buy the latest gadgets. In fact, 18- to 34-year-olds are significantly more likely than the average Internet user to own a number of digital devices. For example, 17 percent own an MP3 player (vs. 12 percent), and 48 percent own a video game console (vs. 32 percent).
Bring on the Entertainment
More than any other age group, 18- to 34-year olds consider the Internet to be one of the most important sources of entertainment available to them. They use the Internet both as a primary source of entertainment and as a resource for entertainment news and information. Forty percent use the Web to help choose a movie to watch (and to find out where/when it's playing), while about one-third use it to view local restaurant and club listings. In fact, 30 percent of all 18- to 34-year-old Internet users visit an entertainment Web site every day. That rivals the percentage who typically read the arts/entertainment section of the newspaper (32 percent), and it exceeds the percentage who regularly read entertainment magazines (19 percent).
Beyond just visiting entertainment and music sites, 18- to 34-year-olds are more likely to engage in downloading, sharing and burning music and videos online and are more avid consumers of online video content than any other age group.
Another interesting fact regarding the online usage patterns of this group is that although they spend less time at banking and personal finance sites than the average Internet user (due to the fact that they typically have fewer investments and products to manage), they report that they are actually more likely to bank online -- that is, check their account balances, transfer money and pay loans online -- compared to any other age group. Comfort with online banking among 18- to 34-year-olds extends into other financial activity as well. They are more likely to apply for credit online, use an online payment service, obtain a personal or car loan and purchase car insurance online than other groups.
She Shops, He Plays
Although both genders frequent entertainment-related sites, as well as the careers, personals and classifieds categories, there are significant gender differences in other visitation patterns. For example, females within this group are disproportionately more likely to visit retail categories than the average Internet user. In fact, 10 of the 15 categories with the highest proportion of females 18- to 34-years-old are retail categories. However, with a few interesting exceptions -- namely tickets and consumer electronics -- males 18- to 34-years-old are focused on non-retail categories, such as gaming, automotive and sports. Further analysis of category data by gender can be found below.
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Putting it Together
"When taken overall, this first installment of our research into 18- to 34-year-olds clearly shows that the Internet has become the dominant medium in the lives of this highly sought-after group," says Zimbalist. "They use it at home, at work, at school and everywhere in between. They use it not only as a source of news and information, but also as a primary source of entertainment and as the central control panel for their personal finances. So if you're looking to reach these rather elusive consumers, look no further than the Internet."
Detailed findings from this report can be found at the Online Publishers Association Web site. Future research installments pertaining to 18- to 34-year-old consumers will be released by the OPA in the coming weeks. We'll, of course, keep you updated.