Tech Devices Owned by College Students (% of Students; Average Device Ownership= 6.9/Student) | |
Device | % Owning |
Laptop computer | 85% |
Smartphone | 69 |
Video game console | 68 |
MP3 player | 67 |
Printer | 62 |
Digital camera | 61 |
Flat screen TV | 60 |
Desktop computer | 48 |
Tablet computer | 36 |
Handheld gaming system | 35 |
Feature phone | 33 |
Camcorder/video recorder | 25 |
E-Reader | 21 |
TivoDVR | 18 |
Source: re:Fuel, June 2013 |
Food reigns supreme among students when it comes to discretionary spending. 36% (or $42.1 billion) of total annual discretionary spending is dedicated to food purchased in grocery stores ($21.1 billion), at convenience stores ($7.9 billion) and in restaurants ($13.1 billion).
Despite the increase in online coursework, however, students continue to spend a significant amount of time on their college campus. On average, students spend 10.2 hours per day on campus during the week and 6.5 hours per day on weekends.
Students added one-half of a device to their arsenal of technology in this year’s study, bringing their total to an average 6.9 gadgets per student. Topping the list is the laptop, owned by 85% of students:
And, students rely on their laptops for schoolwork:
Students also embrace more traditional means of learning, with 79% of students taking notes with pen and paper, rather than with devices. Traditional printed textbooks continue to dominate despite sharp increases in tablet and e-book reader ownership. 59% of the 6.9 textbooks acquired each term are obtained in a printed format, compared to just 19% acquired digitally.
Nielson notes that "... it seems that highlighted passages, notes scribbled in margins and dog-eared pages are tried-and-true study methods that will last well into the 21st century..."
Students spend a significant amount of their daily 14.4 hours of multitasking across devices in pursuit of entertainment. 64% of students regularly watch TV in real-time on a television set, and 20% do so on computers.
While 49% of students report daily usage of a second screen while watching television, their activities on those additional screens would be better described as multitasking. 63% are using Facebook or Twitter, 58% are surfing other online sites, 50% are playing games and 37% are doing school work.
"Showrooming," or the act of researching a product while in store, is quite popular, and influential, among mobile pupils:
College students continue to be avid social network users, and Facebook is the clear leader with 86% of students reporting they use the site regularly. Twitter is in second place at 38%. Instagram made a strong debut on the study with 30% of students reporting regular use. Google+ was the only site to show declining use, down to 29% from 32% last year.
How students use so-called "social" networks, is really not all that social, says the report:
32% of students say they avoid advertising on social media sites. Other ad types they consider intrusive are:
Among tactics more welcomed into students' lives, the study results find tactics that deliver value have the lowest levels of avoidance, such as:
Nielsen concludes that "... as students both expand and re-evaluate their social networks, they continue to make decisions on which information is important to them... which messages they'll welcome and which they'll avoid... Mom and dad, however, continue to be their main source of information, advice and approval throughout the college years... “
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