'Connected' survey of how teenagers use the media
How
do young people use media?
How do they communicate?
Where do they get ideas?
Survey by Chapel for Jerusalem Trust
Exaltabo! focuses on the issue of communication to young people; How do young people communicate? How do they access information? What are the 'languages' which they employ? What are their influences?
One aspect of answering this question is finding out what they say themselves about their sources and influences. We may believe that young people are besotted with the web. We may believe that they don't want to listen to their parents. We may maintain that they don't read any more. But we ought, at least, to take some soundings about what they actually do.
The 'Connected' survey doesn't pretend to answer all these questions. In the nature of a quantitative survey (and material referred to by Jayne Ozanne in her conference paper 'Do we mind the gap' provides a valuable qualitative counterpoint), interpretation has to read between the lines. The survey took as its brief focusing on technologies, media, influences and trends, rather than tackling deeper questions of language and meaning. The responses are inevitably shaped by the questions, which is why we have provided the raw data here.
Given the above provisos, we believe the information gained from a reasonably broad spectrum of respondents raises some telling points.
- Are
we all getting sucked into the 'web'?
No
- not right away. Young people don't appear to be absorbed with the
Internet. Media such as Internet chat seem to have a mixed reception.
The usage of the web doesn't appear to be as significant as music
and phone usage, for example.
- The
soundtrack of our lives? - Music is a significant component
of most respondents' days. At the same time they don't rate it as
'influencing' them highly. This suggests that music articulates their
attitudes, rather than forming them. One's music choices and anthems,
as well as one's clothing and social group are part of defining one's
identity.
- Meaning
or ambience? What do the statistics about usage of console
games, television and music add up to? They may suggest an experiential
environment in which audiovisual content is absorbed impressionistically
and non-linearly. This is a suggestion rather than a conclusion!
- Ignoring the older generation? - Possibly not. Parents scored as highly as friends in influencing young people's attitudes and opinions.
Perhaps the most interesting responses are to the questions at the end of the survey - 'Tick which of these you use more, and which you use less than a year ago', and 'What do you think has most effect on shaping your attitudes and ideas?' Bear in mind that the 'trends' question is being asked of people who themselves have grown a significant year older in the last year - so may reflect an age related trend.
Video
The producers combined headline statistics with video material suggesting the 'mood' of the communications environment of young people, and this was presented at the Exaltabo! Conference.
Research Notes
The survey was carried out in January 2001 with the co-operation of six schools. It was available as a web-based survey, and teachers agreed to arrange for students to complete it during school time. Due to problems with school 'firewalls' some schools were in fact unable to complete the survey in this way, and were provided with good old-fashioned printed surveys to complete.
The survey, research and video were produced by Chapel. 01625 501332
Terry Gibson
Managing Director
Chapel
February 2001
Sample
|
98 |
Boys |
|
173 |
Girls |
Female
|
20 |
YR 8 |
12-13 yr olds |
|
21 |
YR 9 |
13-14 |
|
58 |
YR 10 |
14-15 |
|
56 |
YR 11 |
15-16 |
|
7 |
YR 12 |
16-17 |
|
11 |
YR 13 |
17-18 |
Male
|
21 |
YR 8 |
|
18 |
YR 9 |
|
28 |
YR 10 |
|
31 |
YR 11 |
Six schools
| NAME | TOWN | RESPONDENTS | |
|
M |
F |
||
|
ST MARYLEBONE SCHOOL |
MARYLEBONE, LONDON |
60 |
|
|
WILLINGDON COMMUNITY |
EASTBOURNE |
32 |
33 |
|
BIRLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE |
SHEFFIELD |
19 |
16 |
|
CHEADLE HULME COLLEGE |
CHEADLE HULME |
10 |
15 |
|
HENBURY HIGH |
MACCLESFIELD |
17 |
5 |
|
ST MARY RADCLIFFE AND TEMPLE |
BRISTOL |
20 |
4 |
Statistics
271 questionnaires filled in
|
1. |
MALE |
36% |
|
FEMALE |
64% |
Communication
1) How much do you use the telephone to chat to friends?
|
Not at all |
8% |
|
0-1 hr/day |
62% |
|
1-2 hrs/day |
21% |
|
More than 2 hrs/day |
9% |
2) Do you use Internet chat sites much?
|
No |
65% |
|
0-1hr/day |
22% |
|
1-2 hrs/day |
7% |
|
More than 2 hrs/day |
6% |
3) Do you own a mobile phone?
|
Yes |
75% |
|
No |
25% |
4) How often do you use a mobile phone for talking to people?
|
Don't own one |
23% |
|
0-1 hr/day |
58% |
|
1-2 hrs/day |
12% |
|
More than 2 hrs/day |
7% |
5) How much do you use text messaging?
|
Never |
25% |
|
0-2 messages per day |
21% |
|
3-5 messages per day |
23% |
|
More than 5 messages per day |
31% |
6) How much time do you spend logged on to the Internet?
|
None |
18% |
|
0-1 hr/day |
53% |
|
1-2 hrs/day |
16% |
|
More than 2 hrs/day |
13% |
7) How many emails a day do you send?
|
None |
38% |
|
1-5 |
56% |
|
More than 5 |
6% |
Information
8) How often do you use your school/town library to get information?
|
Never |
57% |
|
Once a week |
37% |
|
More than once a week |
6% |
9) How often do you use the Internet for research purposes?
|
Never |
15% |
|
Once a week |
61% |
|
More than once a week |
24% |
10) Do you watch any news programs on a regular basis?
|
Yes |
51% |
|
No |
48% |
11) Do you read any newspapers on a regular basis.? If yes, which?
|
No |
52% |
|
Yes |
48% |
|
Name of Newspaper |
most popular newspaper: |
12) Do you read any magazines on a regular basis? If yes, which?
|
No |
39% |
|
Yes |
61% |
|
Name of Magazine |
13) Do documentary programs such as 'Horizon', 'The History of Britain' and 'Dinosaurs' interest you?
|
Yes |
16% |
|
Only a little |
44% |
|
No |
40% |
14) Do you enjoy many of your school subjects?
|
Lots of them |
21% |
|
A few |
72% |
|
None |
7% |
15) For getting information, do you regard the Internet as:
|
Highly useful, with endless possibilities |
64% |
|
Something that's there, but I never really use it |
33% |
|
Totally useless, I can't see what all the hype is about |
3% |
16) Do you believe that we will soon be able to do everything through our TVs?
|
Definitely |
21% |
|
In a while, yes |
64% |
|
Never |
15% |
Entertainment
17) What do you like to do on weekend nights?
|
Stay at home |
14% |
|
Go out (cinema, club etc) |
53% |
|
Go to a friend's |
33% |
18) How often do you go out to clubs etc?
|
Never |
43% |
|
1-2 times per week |
53% |
|
More than 2 times per week |
4% |
19) Do you listen to CDs?
|
0-1 hr/day |
26% |
|
1-2 hrs/day |
26% |
|
More than 2 hrs/day |
48% |
20) Do you own a games console?
|
No |
23% |
|
Yes |
77% |
21) How often do you play computer games?
|
Never |
28% |
|
0-1 hr/day |
42% |
|
1-2 hrs/day |
15% |
|
More than 2 hrs/day |
15% |
22) Do you use the web for entertainment?
|
Never |
40% |
|
0-1 hr/day |
37% |
|
1-2 hrs/day |
16% |
|
More than 2 hrs/day |
7% |
23) Do you watch films at the cinema?
|
No |
22% |
|
1 per week |
75% |
|
More than one per week |
3% |
24) How much do you watch TV?
|
0-1 hr/day |
14% |
|
1-2 hrs/day |
37% |
|
More than 2 hrs/day |
48% |
25) What is your favorite television program? (Please state)
Name - favorite programs are Eastenders, Friends, Simpsons, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
26) Which of these would you prefer to watch?
|
'SMTV live'/other morning show |
37% |
|
'Frazier'/other, more 'adult' comedy |
48% |
|
'Wise up'/other 'teens' program |
15% |
27) Do you read books for relaxation and entertainment?
|
No |
47% |
|
0-1 hr/day |
39% |
|
1-2 hrs/day |
11% |
|
More than 2 hrs/day |
3% |
28) Do you see friends outside school?
|
No |
7% |
|
0-1 hr/day |
30% |
|
1-2 hrs/day |
27% |
|
More than 2 hrs/day |
36% |
Tick which of these you use more, and which you use less now than a year ago:
|
More |
The same |
Less |
|
|
29 Mobile phone |
67% |
21% |
12% |
|
30 Television |
25% |
50% |
24% |
|
31 Email |
55% |
26% |
19% |
|
32 Web |
65% |
20% |
15% |
|
33 Internet chat |
27% |
36% |
37% |
|
34 Radio |
47% |
40% |
13% |
|
35 Cinema |
29% |
47% |
24% |
|
36 Music |
75% |
24% |
1% |
|
37 Newspapers |
20% |
54% |
26% |
|
38 Magazines |
35% |
42% |
23% |
|
39 Books |
24% |
36% |
40% |
What do you think has most effect in shaping your attitudes and ideas?
|
No effect |
A little |
Quite a lot |
Most effect |
|
|
40 Friends |
2% |
22% |
50% |
26% |
|
41 Parents |
8% |
26% |
40% |
26% |
|
42 Teachers |
23% |
51% |
18% |
8% |
|
43 TV |
18% |
48% |
26% |
8% |
|
44 The web |
55% |
27% |
13% |
5% |
|
45 Music |
25% |
38% |
26% |
11% |
|
46 Other |
(please state) |
47) What is your favorite web site? ________________________________________