• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, December 27, 2010

According to a new study from Harris Interactive, reported by MarketingCharts, three-quarters of 8-to-24-year-olds use a social networking site and 68% spend time on a social networking site daily. 86% of 18-to-24-year-olds and 71% of 13-to-17-year-olds use Facebook. 28% of 8-to-12-year-olds use Facebook, as well.

Study results also show that eight in 10 8-to-12-year-olds and nine in 10 13-to-24-year-olds spend an hour or more online on a typical day. The average number of hours spent online daily increases with age, rising from 1.9 hours among 8-to-12-year-olds to 3.5 hours among 13-to-17-year-olds, topping at 4.5 hours among 18-to-24-year-olds.

Youth Internet Usage (% Online 1 hour "yesterday")
Age Group	2009	2010
8-9	76%	76%
10-12	69	75
13-15	82	88
16-17	79	87
18-21	88	89
Source: Harris Interactive, December 2010

In other popular youth online activities, 70% of 13-to-24-year-olds listen to music online, while 64% of 13-to-17-year-olds and 66% of 18-to-24-year-olds watch online video.

Among 8-to-12-year-olds, 53% watch online video, and this demographic has the largest contingent playing online games (78%, compared to 52% of 13-to-17-year-olds and 46% of 18-to-24-year-olds). Game playing is the top online activity among 8-to-12-year-olds.

Overall, seven in ten 8-to-24-year-olds own a cell phone or smartphone, with smartphones representing 18% of this figure. During the past few years, cell and smartphone ownership has risen among tweens (26% in 2007 to 34% in 2010) and teens (65% in 2007 to 76%), but remained consistently around 90% among young adults in that timeframe.

Three quarters of 8-24 year olds use a social networking site and two thirds of youth spend some time on one daily. A substantial majority of US young adults age 12-24 use Facebook. 74% of young adults use Facebook to some degree. By frequency of use, this figure breaks down to 55% actively using Facebook and 19% occasionally using it. Of the remaining 26%, only 4% are unfamiliar with Facebook.

Today's tweens, teens and young adults have a huge and influential presence in our world, says the report. They are heard through personal spending power and market influence, as well as their cominating presence in the Internet technology and media realms.

Personally Buy or Influence Purchase in Next Month (% of Group)
	Age Group
	8-12	13-17	18-24
Tickets to entertainment or sporting events	40%	43	45
Hand held video games	39	20	17
Video game system	31	27	17
Cell/Smart phone	22	30	29
Digital media player	21	24	20
Computer	17	24	28
TV	12	17	20
Camera	10	20	18
Camcorder/Video camera	7	14	13
New vehicle	-	18	19
Source: Harris Interactive, December 2010

Considering their hopes, fears and plans for the future, and driven by the reality of economic times, over two thirds of 18-24 year olds, and a significant number of the other age groups, worry about not having enough money. The next generation of college students worry that college will be too expensive for them.

Youth Worries (% of Group)
	Age Group
	8-12	13-17	18-24
Grades	55%	60	46
Someone close will get sick or die	50	52	46
Not having enough money	40	57	68
Environment	29	38	33
Appearance	26	44	40
Parents lose jobs	23	26	17
In car accident	21	35	35
College too expensive	20	50	36
Overweight	20	34	35
Weight	17	39	41
Source: Harris Interactive, December 2010

For additional details, visit Marketing Charts here, and to read the PDF file from Harris Interactive, go here.