Like, Totally Wired

RESEARCHBRIEF

FROM THE CENTER FOR MEDIA RESEARCH

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Comparing platforms, the study found:

• Students are spending twice as much time on their computers as compared to television viewing 
• 33% of 18-24 year old students have increased their consumption of webisodes or user-generated videos since last year, and 30% of 18-30 year olds report frequent video viewing on social networking sites
• 61% of students are watching movies on computers vs. 76% on their television

The growing and influential class of 2013, with 13.8 million college students (ages 18-30) on campus this year, is responsible for a record $250 billion in projected spending power, up nearly 6% over 2008 figures.  Projected discretionary spending shows a comparable gain, with these college students reporting peak figures at $56 billion. When it comes to "tech" purchasing decisions, 70% of college students are the key decision makers when purchasing their cell phones, while 63% make the ultimate choice for their digital camera and 60% do so when deciding on their choice of computer.

Input from friends and family continues to be a strong influence on students' decision-making with respect to brands, products and services, with 62% of students placing particular importance on word of mouth from friends.  44% trust the advice of family, and 40% are influenced by seeing others using products.

College campuse blanket "wireless" coverage has doubled in two years, with 60% of college campuses meeting the demands of today's "totally connected" students. And, for the first time since the College Explorer study's inception, desktop ownership slides below half of the 18-30 year old college student population (46%), while laptops are now the preferred model on campus, with 75% of students reporting ownership. 

At the same time, the MP3 player has more than doubled to a total of 74% ownership, while digital camera ownership also jumped to almost three-quarters (74%) - a 28% increase since 2006 and a clear reflection of the daily documentation taking place on social networking sites and blogs, that now seems a prerequisite to campus life.

the study delved into exactly how much time multi-tasking students were engaging with their preferred media on a daily basis, for any purpose. The daily tech "media diet" includes 9 ½ hours out of 12 hours of media consumption.

Students' increasing interest in online video has been clearly shown by this year's study, which shows a rise in online viewing habits for  TV shows, user generated videos and webisodic programming as compared to the previous year.

• 33% of  18-24 year old students have increased their consumption of webisodes or user-generated videos over the past year
• College males are watching more webisodes than they did last year, as compared to their female counterparts 
• 30% of 18-30 year olds report they frequently watch videos when visiting social networking sites
• 61% of students who watch full movies do so on their computers, while 76% watch them on their television
• 60% of college students who use technology devices to shoot, send or receive video content report doing so on their computers, with 45% conducting this activity on their cell phone, Smartphone, or PDA.

While pop-up ads or banners are not widely accepted by this group, 53% of college students are not avoiding webisodes or pre-roll ads while online.  And, 68% don't avoid online promotions. One in five students stated that advertisements in the form of online promotions were most useful to them.

Andy Sawyer, SVP, Media Services for Alloy Media + Marketing, concludes that "... advancements in technology have clearly given students increasing control and ease... to socialize, communicate and be entertained on demand... (the study) offers marketers key insights... "

The 2009 Alloy College Explorer study was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive between April 1 and April 27, 2009 among 1,521 U.S. 18-34 year old college students (2-year, 4-year and graduate students, including 1,433 18-30 year old college students). Results were weighted as needed for age, sex, race/ethnicity, region and school status. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents' propensity to be online.

For additional information, please visit Alloy here.

For more information visit www.mediapost.com