• by Tom Siebert , October 5, 2006

Teens and tweens are increasingly watching television on the Internet, according to a study released yesterday from MindShare Online Research group. The survey explored how kids and teens use digital media and technology and the habits of young people related to the Internet, iPods and cell phones.

In a survey of 800 kids between the ages of 8 and 17 and split evenly between the sexes, one-third of respondents ages 12-17 and one-fourth of those ages 8-12 said they view television programming on the Internet. About 12 percent also said they watch programming on their video game systems, with single-digit levels of respondents watching on their cell phone or iPod or other MP3 player.

Even in an age of technology triumphant, the No. 1 device owned by youths remains the radio. The study also shows that broadcast radio is the most popular way to listen to music, although iPod/MP3 player listenership has doubled in the past year among teens (12-17).

When asked which medium would most be missed if it was taken away, television was first, followed by video games and the Internet. Radio, newspapers and magazines lagged far behind, with the latter pair barely registering a single percentage.

As for cell phones, more than 60 percent of teens participating in the study have one. Girls tend to use phones more than boys across all age groups, and teens use their cell phones the most.

Combined with last month's Nielsen study showing that the amount of time Americans spend watching TV was the highest ever, at four hours and 35 minutes a day--and that teens were watching 3 percent more television, mostly in the early morning and late at night--the amount of television being consumed by youth is the highest it has ever been, says Debbie Solomon, Group Research Director, MindShare.

"Advertisers are very aware that you need to pay attention to the different screens people are getting their entertainment and commercial messages from," Solomon says. "We're all looking at different alternatives to getting messages on screens. This is a great time for experimentation because the cost of entry isn't very high."