The way young people are consuming media is changing dramatically and this report by the Kaiser Family Foundation explores trends in the growing phenomenon of media multitasking amongst young Americans. It highlights an increase: 26% of media time is spent on multiple media, up from 16% of media time in 1999. However, despite all the hype about new media bringing the death of TV – TV still remains the dominant media in the lives of teens and tweens. New technologies have not (yet) kyboshed the media landscape. However, the report also reveals that performance decreases when these teens and tweens attempt to perform two tasks simultaneously – which raises the question of what this means for marketers who want to attract the attention of Gen X and Y?
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Media Multitasking
- The trend of media multitasking has been increasing among young Americans, which may lead to opportunities for products or services that can assist them in managing their media consumption time.
- Dominance of TV
- Despite the increased use of multiple media, TV still remains the dominant media in the lives of teens and tweens, indicating that there may be opportunities for businesses to capitalize on this form of media consumption.
- Effects of Multitasking on Performance
- The decrease in performance when teenagers attempt to perform two tasks simultaneously suggests an opportunity for businesses to innovate and create tools or services that can help teenagers increase their productivity and avoid multitasking pitfalls.
Where This Applies
- Advertising and Marketing
- The trend of media multitasking among young Americans raises questions for marketers on how to attract the attention of Gen X and Y, which may prompt a need for innovative advertising and marketing strategies.
- Media and Entertainment
- The dominance of TV among teenagers suggests opportunities for media and entertainment companies to create new content or services tailored to the preferences of this audience.
- Technology
- The effects of multitasking on performance may inspire technological innovations that can assist young people in managing their media consumption and increasing their productivity.
