Adults Go Online More Often Than Teens, Study Finds - RETAILTECH Online

NEW YORK: The average adult (ages 18 and up) went online an average of 15 days in April, compared with just nine for teenagers, according to a new study from Jupiter Media Metrix.

Also, between April 2000 and April 2001, the growth of the adult online population outpaced the teen population. The number of adults online increased 18%, reaching a total of over 71 million users. The teen population increased 11% in April, reaching a total of almost 9 million.

Teens spend the most number of minutes using the Yahoo! and MSN portals and checking email at Hotmail. According to the study, teens use these sites intensely, spending 45, 50 and 48 minutes per month on each site, respectively. The data also show that teens spend a considerable amount of time (an average of 52 minutes in April) on eBay.

Jupiter analysts say that while adults spend much more time on eBay (an average of 112 minutes in April), teens spend a significant amount of time on the site considering they don't have the checkbook or credit card required to make many of the purchases.

In fact, the study found that while 89% of teens (ages 13-17) have never made an online purchase (probably due to the fact that they are too young to own credit cards), nearly one-third (29%) research products on the Internet before buying them at stores.

“Many teens use the Internet as a shopping mall--a place to meet friends, play games, and shop--even without the intent to purchase,” says Jared Blank, Jupiter analyst. “Teens spend almost as much time on Amazon.com as adults, even though few of those teens can make purchases on the site. Marketers need to recognize the value the Web has on influencing purchases that may take place offline.”

Jupiter analysts say that companies who want to attract the teenage demographic should allow users to set up and personalize their experience as much as possible. According to a Jupiter Consumer Survey, 42% of teenagers view personal Web pages set up by other users. Media Metrix ratings data show that homepage providers Angelfire, TriPod and Homestead are all among the top 20 sites visited by teens, though none are among the same list for adults.

“Integrating online and offline channels is imperative for retailers trying to reach teenagers,” Blank says. “Since so few teenagers purchase online, the Web should be used as an additional means of branding and information dissemination. Players who do this well ensure that their customer communications, whether it's informational or promotional, share the same messaging on the Web, in their catalogs, and in their stores.”