Growing Up Digital: Gen Y Technology Usage Trends

Technology is the buzz word when it comes to Generation Y. Personal computers and the Internet have transformed both the home and school environment.

According to Teenage Research Unlimited, more than 80 percent of teenagers have Internet access, whether at home, school, work, a friend's home or the library. A recent study by the Fortino Group further predicts that current 10- to 17-year olds will spend one-third of their lives (23 years) on the Internet.

The younger members of Generation Y are more technology savvy than any other group. A July 1999 survey by ISP Global Internet found two-thirds of children under the age of 11 first used a computer before they were 5, while less than a quarter of those over 11 did so.

In 2000, AOL Instant Messenger (IM), a popular form of instant communication among Gen Y-ers, boasted 90 million registered users and 2.4 million simultaneous users. And it has grown since then. According to Time magazine, a new user registers to join the IM community every 3.5 seconds.

Reaching the Audience: Gen Y Media Usage Trends

Generation Y is a significant target audience for the media because it will form the bulk of the adult population within the next 20 years.

Media usage among Generation Y is generally concentrated in the broadcast media, especially in radio usage, although there is a delineation across age groups.

According to interviews conducted with members of Generation Y in the Chicago area, the heaviest users of television are those below 12, while high school and college students use the radio most frequently for news and entertainment. They also read more magazines than younger members of the generation do. College students are most likely to read newspapers regularly, supplemented by radio and the Internet.

Although television and radio still stand as the most popular forms of media usage among Gen Y, the Internet is on its rise to take over some of the broadcast media's dominance. Internet penetration rate in U.S. households has grown from 2 to 57 percent from 1990 to 2001, while television penetration rate has dropped from 99.7 to 97.5 percent within the same period. In 2001, households with Internet connections watched an average 4.5 hours less of television per week.

Looking to the Future: Gen Y Values and Outlook

The rising millennial generation is bringing with it a backlash to tradition. In comparison to Generation X, which older generations looked upon as disillusioned, rebellious and pessimistic, Generation Y-ers seem to embody the optimism and idealism that baby boomers themselves held dear.

According to a report in the May 1999 U.S. News and World Report alcohol consumption among high school seniors has dropped from 72 percent in 1980 to 52 percent in 1998. Drug usage, pregnancy and homicide rates among teens are also down from 1980. An emphasis on family and religious values is returning, and sociologists are predicting a surge in younger marriages and bigger families.

Generation Y and September 11th

September 11th has not dampened the spirits of the optimistic Generation Y-ers, nor has it dampened their spending.

According to a Harris Interactive study of American students between ages 8 to 18 one year after the terrorist attacks, the youth remain relatively optimistic and do not have increased fears of personal experiences with terrorism. Eight in ten believe they will reach their personal goals, find a good job and make enough money to do the things they want. One-third believe they will live to see peace in the Middle East. Only 8 percent believe they will be victims of terrorism.

Most Gen Y-ers interviewed in the Chicago area seem eager to go on with their lives after the terrorist attacks and not linger in its shadow. "It makes me tired of hearing about it," says Kenneth Hutchinson, 20. "It's a pity party, and it has gone on for too long."

Pia M., 19, whose hometown is Washington, D.C.--one of the terrorist attack targets on Sept. 11--says she remains optimistic about the future because she feels that she will be able to achieve her goals. So do most other respondents, who have confidence in their country and their personal aspirations despite the political, economic and moral issues they also are concerned about.

"I have confidence in the Bush administration, but I am discouraged at times with the lack of morals in today's youth," says Kelly Blakemore, 18, of San Antonio, Texas. Since Sept. 11, she says, "I don't watch violent movies anymore and am more aware of my moral standards."

"9-11 has made me advocate a more interventionist foreign policy," adds Henry Bowles, 18, of San Francisco, who says he remains generally optimistic about the future.

There is a clear consensus among Gen Y interviewees that Sept. 11 did little to change their spending habits. More than nine out of ten respondents say they spend as much as or more than they did before Sept. 11.

Kevin Chang, 17, of Huntington Beach, Calif., says he spends "a lot" each week eating out, on entertainment and on clothing and gadgets. When it comes to spending, he hasn't given a second thought to Sept. 11. "It hasn't affected me," he says. "Not at all."

Ada Hoang, 22, of Louisville, Ky., says Sept. 11 has made her re-evaluate what is important to her, but day-to-day expenditures are not part of that formula. "The way I spend money has not changed," she says.

Noelle Provencial, 19, of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., agrees: "I value my life much more, but I haven't altered the way I spend my money."

Similarly, Sept. 11 has raised 21-year-old Somi Basathia's awareness of world politics and issues, but it hasn't raised any worries about her spending patterns. "Unfortunately I spent even more!" she says.

The few Gen Y-ers who say they try to spend less do so largely because of the already faltering economy.

"The economy is down and I'm trying to be more conservative about spending." Emily Chen, 21, of Arlington Heights, Ill., says.

"America was already headed toward a recession," says Paul Bunsongsikul, also 21, of New Athens, Ill. "I try to be less superfluous due to the lack of high-reward work in the job market."

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