My Digital Darlings

As someone who advises clients about how best to communicate the value of their organization, their corporate brand, or their ideas to a variety of different kinds of audiences, I naturally try to stay current on trends and so forth. 

In fact, my home sometimes serves as a mini-laboratory for validating or revealing multi-generational patterns when it comes to information consumption.  My husband (mid-50s) likes his social media, his cable news talking heads, his Kindle and his “old media” car magazines and newspapers; my tween daughter LOVES all things digital -- and their habits are quite different as you might expect.

Or so I thought.

Recent research shows that our kids’ digital media usage looks a lot like their parents.'

·         52% of tweens (ages 10-13) have mobile phones

·         28% of tweens have tablets and 16% have e-readers

·         Everybody texts these days – it is the most common way of staying in touch.  Sadly, it is also is the end of basic spelling as we know it (“you” becomes “u” and “K” becomes “ok,” etc.). 

       P.S.  I fear for the future of speech itself! (Remember, we’re still evolving, people!)

·         67% of tweens would rather get a device than a toy. (Duh)

·         7 out of 10 tweens are doing something else while they’re watching TV.

·        74% of tweens are more excited about driving a car, going to college and making their own money than going to parties and dating. (Say whaaaat?)

Source:  The Intelligence Groups’ Cassandra Report, Winter/Spring 2013

Of course, I don’t necessarily agree with the findings about tweens being more excited about college, cars and making money than parties and boys (my daughter is definitely into parties even if she’s not quite sure what she really thinks about boys – and she loves spending my money, not her own).  At the same time, though, her multi-tasking capability is breathtaking to behold; she can text, carry on a phone conversation and have a pretty good idea of what’s unfolding on her favorite Teen Nick show, while also wagging her finger at me to get her a snack!  Wow. 

When one stops to consider how much our technology tools and media consumption patterns have changed in just the last 3 or 4 years it boggles the mind that we’re still at the beginning of the digital revolution.  I can’t even imagine what it will all be like when my daughter is 20 and I’m…gulp…68.  But I’ll leave that to my “meme” to figure out!

Thank god it’s Thursday.  Cheers.