With technology allowing nearly 24-hour media access as children and teens go about their daily lives, the amount of time young people spend with entertainment media has risen dramatically, especially among minority youth, according to a study released recently by the Kaiser Family Foundation. Today, 8- to 18-year-olds devote an average of 7 hours and 38 minutes (7:38) to using entertainment media across a typical day (more than 53 hours a week). And because they spend so much of that time ‘media multitasking’ (using more than one medium at a time), they actually manage to pack a total of 10 hours and 45 minutes (10:45) worth of media content into those 7½ hours.

Mobile media driving increased consumption. The increase in media use is driven in large part by ready access to mobile devices like cell phones and iPods. Over the past five years, there has been a huge increase in ownership among 8- to 18-year-olds: from 39% to 66% for cell phones, and from 18% to 76% for iPods and other MP3 players. During this period, cell phones and iPods have become true multi-media devices: in fact, young people now spend more time listening to music, playing games, and watching TV on their cell phones (a total of :49 daily) than they spend talking on them (:33).

Parents and media rules. Only about three in ten young people say they have rules about how much time they can spend watching TV (28%) or playing video games (30%), and 36% say the same about using the computer. But when parents do set limits, children spend less time with media: those with any media rules consume nearly 3 hours less media per day (2:52) than those with no rules.

Media in the home. About two-thirds (64%) of young people say the TV is usually on during meals, and just under half (45%) say the TV is left on “most of the time” in their home, even if no one is watching. Seven in ten (71%) have a TV in their bedroom, and half (50%) have a console video game player in their room. Again, children in these TV-centric homes spend far more time watching: 1:30 more a day in homes where the TV is left on most of the time, and an hour more among those with a TV in their room.

Types of media kids consume. Time spent with every medium other than movies and print increased over the past five years: :47 a day increase for music/audio, :38 for TV content, :27 for computers, and :24 for video games. TV remains the dominant type of media content consumed, at 4:29 a day, followed by music/audio at 2:31, computers at 1:29, video games at 1:13, print at :38, and movies at :25 a day.

High levels of media multitasking. High levels of media multitasking also contribute to the large amount of media young people consume each day. About 4 in 10 7th – 12th graders say they use another medium “most” of the time they’re listening to music (43%), using a computer (40%), or watching TV (39%).

Black and Hispanic children spend far more time with media than White children do. There are substantial differences in children’s media use between members of various ethnic and racial groups. Black and Hispanic children consume nearly 4 1/2 hours more media daily (13:00 of total media exposure for Hispanics, 12:59 for Blacks, and 8:36 for Whites). Some of the largest differences are in TV viewing: Black children spend nearly 6 hours and Hispanics just under 5 1/2 hours, compared to roughly 3 1/2 hours a day for White youth. The only medium where there is no significant difference between these three groups is print. Differences by race/ethnicity remain even after controlling for other factors such as age, parents’ education, and single vs. two-parent homes. The racial disparity in media use has grown substantially over the past five years: for example, the gap between White and Black youth was just over two hours (2:12) in 2004, and has grown to more than four hours today (4:23).

Popular new activities like social networking also contribute to increased media use. Top online activities include social networking (:22 a day), playing games (:17), and visiting video sites such as YouTube (:15). Three-quarters (74%) of all 7th – 12th graders say they have a profile on a social networking site.

“The amount of time young people spend with media has grown to where it’s even more than a full-time work week,” said Drew Altman, Ph.D., President and CEO of the Kaiser Family Foundation. “When children are spending this much time doing anything, we need to understand how it’s affecting them — for good and bad.”

“Generation M2: Media in the Lives of 8- to 18-Year-Olds,” conducted by Harris Interactive for the Kaiser Family Foundation, January 20, 2010.  Website: www.kff.org.

Retailers trying to influence moms should pay close attention to their social media efforts and also focus on free items, promotions and discounts, according to a Retail Advertising and Marketing Association (RAMA) survey conducted by BIGresearch.

The study found that women with children at home are more likely to use Facebook (60.3%), MySpace (42.4%) and Twitter (16.5%) than average adults (50.2%, 34.4%, 15.0%, respectively). Moreover, 15.3% maintain their own blog.

“Retailers who aren’t engaging customers through social media could be missing the boat,” said Mike Gatti, executive director for RAMA. “Twitter, Facebook and blogs are becoming increasingly popular with moms as they search for coupons or deals and keep in touch with loved ones. The web provides efficient, convenient ways for brands to stay in front of their most loyal shoppers and attract new ones.”

Most Influential Promotions

On a scale of one to five, when asked what types of promotions most influence their purchases, product samples in the store (3.8), product samples delivered to home (3.6), loyalty cards (3.5), and special displays (3.4) rank as moms’ favorites, RAMA said.

Moms “Like to Talk”

Not surprisingly, moms frequently share experiences and information, and say other people’s opinions influence their purchases, the survey found. Nine out of 10 (93.6%) mothers regularly or occasionally seek the advice of others before buying a service or product, according to the survey. Additionally, an overwhelming 97.2% said they give advice to others about those products or services they purchased.

Preferred Shopping Venues

When it comes to where they shop for clothes, 32.9% prefer department stores and 23.2% head to specialty apparel stores. However, when it comes to shopping for their children’s clothes, 30.7% say they head to discount stores, 19.6% say department stores and 17.5% prefer specialty apparel stores. Moms also most prefer discounters the most for their children’s toys (45.0%) and their own personal health and beauty products (45.5%).

Top Traditional Media Preferences

When it comes to the traditional media preferences, the Food Network and the Discovery Channel are the top cable TV picks, People and Cosmopolitan are the most-preferred magazines, and the daily local and weekly community newspapers are at the top of the list of most-read.

“Simultaneous Media Usage Survey,” conducted by BIGresearch for the Retail Advertising & Marketing Association (RAMA), a division of the National Retail Federation (NRF).  Website: www.nrf.com.

The recessionary times have taught shoppers that they can find bargains if they search in the right places. And just where are those places? The answer to this question depends on the age and gender of the shopper according to the results of a recently published HarrisInteractive poll.

Newspaper/magazines rank highest with older consumers. Nearly 1 in 4 (24%) of 45-54 year olds and 33% of 55+ consumers turn to the newspaper or magazines to find bargains. Overall, the newspaper/magazine category rated highest (23%) with all consumers.

But online sources may be quickly catching up. This media format ranked second (18%) for all consumers. For younger age groups, 22% of 18-34 year-olds and 26% of 35-44 year-olds, online deals were the top choice.

Other traditional forms of media rated as follows with consumers, on average:

• Direct mail/catalogs 12%
• TV 11%
• Radio 2%

When it comes to reaching women, marketers should use newspapers/magazines to reach less educated women (25%) and online for highly educated women (20%.) Online ad strategies are the clear winner for appealing to men (21%), especially those with college degrees (29%).

The survey results present valuable data for marketers who are planning where to allocate their ad budgets. And, as the budget is being divvied up, keep in mind that 34% of consumers say the media type used makes no difference when it comes to their ability to score a good bargain.

[Source: HarrisInteractive Poll #9, released January 2010]

As husbands and wives across America continue to focus on reining in their spending, it seems couples this year plan to spend less on each other but more on their family, friends, co-workers…even their pets. According to NRF’s 2010 Valentine’s Day Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, conducted by BIGresearch, couples will spend an average of $63.34 on gifts for their significant other or spouse, compared to $67.22 last year. The average person will shell out $103.00 on traditional Valentine’s Day merchandise this year, similar to last year’s $102.50. Total holiday spending is expected to reach $14.1 billion.

With Americans cutting back on the amount they spend on their significant other, friends and co-workers can expect a little bit more this year. The average person will spend $5.37 on friends, up from $4.74 last year; $4.29 on classmates and teachers, compared to $3.59 last year; and $2.84 on co-workers, slightly up from the $1.94 they spent in 2009. Family pets will also feel the love this year with the average person spending $3.27 on their furry friends, up from $2.17 last year. Spending on family members will remain the same ($20.94 vs. $20.95 last year).

“While some may view Valentine’s Day as cliché, many people still look forward to giving significant others, friends, family and even pets something special,” said Tracy Mullin, President and CEO, NRF. “Rather than not give anything at all, consumers will instead focus on small, thoughtful gifts for the people who mean the most to them this year.”

As in previous years, men will spend nearly twice the amount women spend on the holiday. The average man plans to shell out $135.35 to impress the people in his life while women only expect to spend $72.28.

Personal and practical gifts will resonate with celebrants again this year as more people will look to sweaters, winter accessories and other clothing options (14.4% vs. 10.2% in 2009) in place of jewelry (15.5% vs. 16.0% last year) or an evening out (35.6% vs. 47.0% in 2009.) Traditional gifts such as greeting cards (54.9%), candy (47.2%) and flowers (35.6%) remain popular choices.

“The economy has forced consumers to rethink their gift giving practices,” said Phil Rist, Executive Vice President, Strategic Initiatives, BIGresearch. “Personal and unique gifts will speak volumes this Valentine’s Day as consumers dig deep into their hearts and not their wallets.”

When it comes to where people will shop, most will head to discount stores (40.9%), though department stores (31.1%) and specialty stores such as florists, electronics stores and greeting cards and gift stores (21.4%) will also see a share of holiday foot traffic.

“2010 Valentine’s Day Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey,” conducted by BIGresearch for the National Retail Federation (NRF), February 1, 2010.  Website: www.nrf.com.