15-year-old stuns the city with report into how teenagers consume media (they don't like twitter)
A REPORT from a 15-year-old boy seems to have created quite a stir.
Finance giant Morgan Stanley took it upon themselves to publish as an 'authoritative piece of work' an article written by a lad they had in on work experience.
Matthew Robson, from London, was asked to describe how he and his friends used technology, and basically stated the obvious - although possibly not obvious to extremely well paid accountants who probably see their children once a week.
The findings of 'how teenagers consume media' included the shocking revelation that teenagers are "very reluctant" to pay to download music from the internet, most using illegal file sharing.
The report reads: "No teenager that I know of regularly reads a newspaper, as most do not have the time and cannot be bothered to read pages and pages of text while they could watch the news summarised on the internet or on TV."
Young people are watching less television, only regularly making time to view a series or football matches, and using catch-up services such as the BBC's iPlayer.
When it comes to mobile phones, video messages and calls are unpopular because they cost too much.
While social networking site Facebook is popular, the new phenomenon of Twitter has limited appeal.
The report said: "Teenagers do not use Twitter. Most have signed up to the service, but then just leave it as they release that they are not going to update it (mostly because texting Twitter uses up credit, and they would rather text friends with that credit). In addition, they realise that no one is viewing their profile, so their 'tweets' are pointless."
Now looking back to the mists of time when I was a teenager, I don't recall any of my chums reading newspapers - so no change there. I don't recall many people spending hours watching TV either, although clearly the internet didn't exist then as a resource.
And we come up with the fact that teens don't pay for something they can get for free. Same again - everyone had double tape decks and we all used to record each other's albums and computer games.
The fact is, it's one 15-year-old who's basically saying that teenagers haven't changed much - and Morgan Stanley has put it out to 'huge interest' in the city.
Oddly enough he doesn't say that rather than 'consume' media, most teens would rather 'consume' two litre bottles of cider in the local bus stop while depositing saliva on the ground.
Edward Hill-Wood, executive director of Morgan Stanley's European media team said: "We've had dozens and dozens of fund managers, and several CEOs, e-mailing and calling all day." He said the note had generated five or six times more responses than the team's usual research.
I think the final word should go to a great comment on the guardian.co.uk piece: "This story reminds me of the scene in the Beatles film A Hard Day's Night in which George gives his views on fashion to a trend-monger who gets very excited: "Quick! Write this down!"
Below, a teenager doing all the 'consuming' they're really interested in.
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Ben Hurst
I like the way this teenager gives insight into how a large percentage of the target market uses the internet but all you want to do is debase them down to the stereotypical image of a few - chavs drining cider at the bus stop.
I'm in my 30's and I find some of your stereotyping appalling. This is an interesting piece which should tell people using social media to market what teenagers are really looking at.
Thanks anon - you certainly give lie to the stereotype that all 'new media' types are humourless and unable to detect light hearted joking.
Anon, from your post, I'm sure you've never stood at your window or gone to the shops and wished those groups of rowdy kids would go somewhere else and leave you in peace.
Or are you one of those 'he didn't really mean to mug the old lady, he has been let down by society' do-gooders who refuses to see that some kids are just a pain.
Or, you just don't have a sense of humour.
Which one is it?
Great blog by the way. In the absence of the ‘other’ on the site, this blog is definitely THE...BEST...ONE...YET.
Anon - you'll enjoy the more straight down the line Birmingham Post version in the url above - no jokes there!
I think my point has been missed - even if your's was tongue in cheek - I have a cracking sense of hunour and would have found your's funny if it had been once, but the second time???
The point being, this is a good article and a good insight, especially when you consider how media is foisted onto people, and how trends are hyped up - this guy has done a very good job of turning on it's head, all the corporate marketing, think tanks and "what we think is best" of some individuals - not you.
But still Ben, humour or not, it was an easy and over-used joke you used. It would have been nicer to see you make more points on the article and whether you agreed with the original article - I actually like your blogs and find you pretty insightful most of the time, I guess this "light hearted joking" of your's is just something I have seen used all too often. But thank you for assuming I am homourless.
This research just goes to show adults trying to catch on with the next big thing teenagers are into have fantastically failed to grasp the fact that teenagers have never really changed.
Maybe the company bosses who are fundamentally altering their products based on some false prediction of a high-tech future because of what they think youngsters will be doing doing should stop and look around for a moment.
It’s worth pointing out that teenagers will also grow up - and like it or not - turn into adults like their parents.
When I was younger and drinking bottles of red label Thunderbird while gobbing off at passers-by, never did I think I would spend my days like my dad doing the gardening - but then I got a house and a mower and bid farewell to the playstation.
Sadly, it happens to us all in the end like it or not. And the world hasn't cjanged that much. TV programmes are not being beamed directly into my head, I'm still reading paper books and the movies I still meet real people in a real place to have a real drink.
The only difference now is that it is in a pub and not the bus-stop. Oh and I can probably not drink as much anymore.
Bring back Conscription, my goodness me. All this from asking why an article and teenagers were stereotyped down to the base thoughts on them.
I have a sense of humour, however I am someone who finds the frequent use of kids only interested in drinking and anti social behaviour a sad and moot point.
It's used all too often. And to suggest from my point that I am somehow a do gooder - well, well... assumptions yet again.
I know full well that there are a good lot of teenagers who really deserve a good kick up the backside and for the full front of the law to be used on them and for people to be able to go out without fearing kids, but at the same time - their actions shadow the efforts of those that do good.
Ben is a good writer, his blogs are very interesting - it was the debasing of teenagers - not a distinction of some, that yes I don't necessarily find funny - and I am sure there will be a good few teenagers fed up with always being viewed this way, even just for humour.
postie article thank you for the link - however humour is fine, I'm a particular fan of Nathan Jolly: http://blogs.birminghammail.net/nathanjolly/
Sorry anon for suggesting you lack a sense of humour - ok so the teenager drinking gag's a bit 'well used' shall we say - but look at the careers of one trick pony comics Julian Clary (innuendo), Jim Davidson (racism), Graham Norton (being camp) Chubby Brown (dirty jokes) etc. Not sure what my point is really - perhaps something along the lines of trotting out the same tedium endlessly never harmed them...maybe.
I rest now, knowing my point has been made.
I see your point Ben, but Jim Davidson - has been, Julian Clary - no longer employed for his humour, Graham Norton - Saturday nite lite - Chubby Brown, niche market!
My point being, they were fine for a while until people got bored with it. ;-)
But I'm fine with you - honestly. And I do appreciate your point and am happy to also rest knowing full well we have at least come to some middle ground understanding.