teens, mobile & games - lenhart presentation to federal trade commission may 2009
DESCRIPTION
Amanda Lenhart conducted a brownbag lunch for Federal Trade Commission Staff in May 2009. The presentation covers Pew Internet teens and mobile phone use from 2004-2008 as well data on youth and gaming from early 2008.TRANSCRIPT
Teens, Mobile & GamesAn Overview of Pew Internet Data
Amanda LenhartFTC BrownbagMay 28, 2009
May 28, 2009Teens Mobile Games
Methodology
• RDD surveys with teens 12 to 17 and a parent or guardian– Sept-Nov 2007 (n=700)– Nov-Feb 2008 (n=1102)
• Focus groups
May 28, 2009Teens Mobile Games
Teens and their tools
• 77% of teens 12-17 own a game console• 74% of teens 12-17 own an iPod or Mp3 player• 71% of teens 12-17 own a cell phone• 60% have a desktop or laptop computer• 55% have a portable gaming device like a DS or
a PSP
May 28, 2009Teens Mobile Games
Mobile phone ownership growing
• Mobile phone ownership is way up:– 45% of 12-17 year olds had them in 2004– 63% in 2006– 71% in early 2008.
• Computer ownership is stable at least over the past two years
• 88% of parents have mobile phones• 75% of adults have a mobile phone• Caveat: Concept of “ownership” varies from device to
device
May 28, 2009Teens Mobile Games
Who has a mobile phone?
• Age is very important – huge bump up in mobile phone ownership at age 14 – 52% of 12-13 year olds have a mobile phone– At age 14 jumps to 72% – By 17 - 84% of teens have a mobile phone
• No gender differences in ownership• No significant difference in mobile phone ownership by
race/ethnicity• Some differences by socio-economic status – but mostly a
minor bump up in the highest income and education brackets.• Internet users more likely than non users to have a cell phone
– thought 50% of non-users have a phone.
May 28, 2009Teens Mobile Games
Teens and phone use
• 88% of teens talk to friends on a landline• 67% of teens talk to friends on a cell phone
– 94% of teens with cell phones use them to talk to friends• 58% of all teens have sent text messages
– 76% of teens with cell phones have sent textsDaily:51% of teens with cell phones talk to their friends on the cell phone
every day43% of teens send messages through online social networks daily38% of teens send text messages to each other daily32% of teens talk on their landline everyday29% spend time with friends in person26% send instant messages everyday16% send email daily
May 28, 2009Teens Mobile Games
Teens and phone use: Voice
• Girls more likely to talk on any kind of phone – landline or mobile.
• Age isn’t a factor in landline use• Older teens with a cell phone much more likely to talk on
cell phone everyday;• Younger teens with a cell phone tend to use them for voice
calls a few times a week or less• Suburban kids a little less likely to talk on cell phone
everyday; no difference by locale in cell phone ownership.
May 28, 2009Teens Mobile Games
Teens and text messaging
• Text messaging daily up since 2006– 27% of teens texted daily in 2006– 38% text daily in 2008
• 54% of social network users have sent texts or IM through a social network site.
• Girls more likely than boys to text• Older teens 15-17 also more likely to text message.• No racial/ethnic differences in texting• Slight bump up in frequency of texting by income• Not using twitter yet, via mobile or any other way.• Not really going online w/ phone; but this is changing
May 28, 2009Teens Mobile Games
What teens aren’t using:Likelihood of Twitter use by age
May 28, 2009Teens Mobile Games
Other mobile devices
Portable game players (Nintendo DS, PSP)• Owned predominately by younger teens 12-14 (67% vs.
44%)• Drops at age 14• Boys more likely to own (61% of boys have one, 49% of
girls)• No difference in use by Race/Ethnicity or SES• PSP: Skype calling and IM, internet, RSS feeds• DS(i): Pictochat (w/in 30-65), wireless gaming (30-65ft),
WiFi gaming,
May 28, 2009Teens Mobile Games October 18, 2008
97% of teens play video games
• 50% of teens played games “yesterday.”• 86% of teens play on a console like the Xbox,
PlayStation, or Wii.• 73% play games on a desktop or a laptop
computer.• 60% use a portable gaming device like a Sony
PlayStation Portable, a Nintendo DS, or a Game Boy.
• 48% use a cell phone or handheld organizer to play games.
May 28, 2009Teens Mobile Games October 18, 2008
Most play many games
• 80% of teens play five or more different game genres, and 40% play eight or more types of games.
• Girls play an average of 6 different game genres; boys average 8 different types.
May 28, 2009Teens Mobile Games October 18, 2008
Game Genres
We asked about 14 different game genres• 74% play racing games (NASCAR, Mario Kart)• 72% play puzzle games (Tetris, Solitaire, Bejeweled)• 68% play sports games (Madden, FiFA, Tony Hawk)• 67% play action games (GTA, Devil May Cry, Ratchet &
Clank)• 66% play adventure games (Legend of Zelda, Tomb
Raider)• 61% play rhythm games (Guitar Hero, DDR)• 59% play strategy games (Civilization, StarCraft)• 49% play simulations (The Sims, Rollercoaster Tycoon)• More….
May 28, 2009Teens Mobile Games October 18, 2008
Game Genres, Cont.
• 49% play fighting games (Super Smash Bros, Tekken, Mortal Kombat)
• 47% play first person shooters (Halo, Counter-Strike, Half-Life)
• 36% play role playing games (Final Fantasy, Knights of the Old Republic)
• 32% play survival horror games (Resident Evil, Silent Hill)• 21% play MMOGs• 10% use virtual worlds
May 28, 2009Teens Mobile Games
MMOGs and Virtual Worlds
• 20% of teens use MMOGs– 30% of boys have played
them; 11% of girls
• 10% of teens use virtual worlds– Boys just as likely as girls– Younger teens more likely
than older teens: 13% of 12-14 year olds; 8% of 15-17 year olds.
• Daily gamers more likely to play MMOGs and in Virtual worlds
Image courtesy of rosefirerising via flickr under creative commons
