• by July 31, 2000

Unlike the online adult population, which consumes less TV than their non-user counterparts, online kids are eager to gobble up every type of media from television to magazines to movies.

"These online kids are on the leading edge of the youth market," said Steve Carnevale, General Manager at Simmons Market Research Bureau.

"They're the ones who are driving trends across industry segments. These kids have spending power. And, advertisers need to understand not only what makes them tick but also which media outlets best reach them."

According to Simmons' Kids Study, an in-depth study of 5,000 children aged 6-11 nationwide, here's an inside look at the kids who are logging on around the country:

-- The genders are split right down the middle, with an equal amount of girls and boys regularly going online.

-- 58% of "wired" kids are between the ages of 9 and 11.

-- Online users watch more TV than their non-online counterparts (76% online vs. 66% non-online users); go to the movies more often (81% online vs. 64% non-online); and read more magazines (58% online vs. 36% non-online).

-- Computer-lovers are also more likely to read more books in addition to their schoolbooks (90%) than those who don't use computers (85%). Both groups favor adventure books, but wired kids then turn to mysteries while their counterparts are more apt to open up a fairy tale.

-- Kids who are online users play more sports than their peers, with swimming, biking and bowling topping their list of preferences.

-- Games are popular online, as well. Kids with computers own software for: games (57%), word processing (49%), educational activities (49%) and e-mail (28%).

-- As for the future, 80% of the kids online population say they are likely to go to college, as compared to 72% of those not wired. And, just over a third of both groups say they are good at saving money.