Pointing out
that teens are avid cell phone users is like saying Lindsay Lohan is in trouble with the law again. Not a shock. But Nielsen released new research today showing
that mobile data use by teens (13 to 17) has quadrupled in the last year, to 62 MB in the second quarter from 14 MB in the year-earlier period -- a sizeable jump.
That was the biggest
increase in usage in any age group and especially noticeable among boys, who Nielsen said are more "gadget-savvy" and consumed 75 MB of data compared to 17 MB in the year-earlier quarter. (Girls used
53 MB, up from 11 MB a year ago.)
Teens are not just using more data, but downloading a wider range of applications. Software downloads, including popular apps like Facebook, Pandora and
YouTube, increased 12 percentage points to 38% among those who use apps. Mobile Web browsing has surpassed activity on pre-installed games, ringtone downloads and instant messaging. The proportion of
teens using other communication tools like mail and text alerts went up eight percentage points, respectively.
And no one sends more text messages than teens, with girls leading the way with an
average of 4,050 a month. Texting is now the main reason for teens getting a cell phone, ranking ahead of safety, which had been the top concern in 2008. Other less important factors cited included
keeping in touch with friends (isn't that related to texting?), keeping in touch with family, and always being available.
Because texting is the primary mobile pastime, a Qwerty keyboard is the
first thing teens look for in choosing a phone, according to Nielsen. Perhaps that explains the popularity of the BlackBerry Curve among teen mobilistas and the lower profile of the iPhone.
All
that texting has come at the expense of voice calling. "Voice activity has decreased among teens, who average 646 minutes talking on the phone per month. While voice consumption rises and peaks at age
24, only adults over 55 talk less than teens," stated a post on the Nielsen Wire blog Thursday. Teen girls average about 753 minutes per month, while boys use about 525 minutes.