• by Ross Fadner , June 3, 2004

The all-important 18- to-34-year-old demographic with broadband access spends, on average, 52 percent more time online than its dial-up brethren in the same age group, according to the findings of a study released Thursday by the Online Publishers Association (OPA).

The finding represents a 12 percent increase over the average adult broadband user, who spends 40 percent more time online than his dial-up counterparts. The study is the third in a series of media consumption studies conducted by the OPA with comScore Networks.

The OPA study notes that the overwhelming majority of broadband 18-34s spend time on content and entertainment sites, rather than with communication tools like email and instant messaging services, or even online shopping. The data shows that whereas 18- to-34-year-old dial-up users tend to use the Internet more as a communications utility, their broadband counterparts use the Internet more as an entertainment and information medium.

Notably, 18- to-34-year-olds with broadband access spent a whopping 96 percent more time on entertainment sites with multimedia and streaming capabilities compared to dial-up users. General News site usage surged 72 percent for broadband versus dial-up users, and weather sites saw a massive 185 percent increase in usage among 18- to-34-year-old broadband users versus dial-up consumers.

The OPA study also cited increases in the communication sectors of email and instant messaging among 18- to-34-year-old broadband consumers. Time spent with email increased 32 percent over dial-up, instant messaging increased 14 percent, and retail increased 19 percent for broadband users. Michael Zimbalist, president, OPA, said the study "suggests that with broadband, (18- to-34-year-olds) can perform these utilitarian functions more efficiently, get them out of the way, and move on to more leisurely online activities that correspond to their interests."

Advertisers mulling over their upfront television buys may want to take note that 18-34 broadband users were more likely to watch music videos (41 percent versus 29 percent) and movie trailers (52 percent versus 32 percent), and view news reports (32 percent versus 19 percent), than their dial-up counterparts.