How Traditional and Digital Natives Consume Media

Let’s take a look at two groups of digital users. The folks 35 and over, the last print-native generation and the under 35 millennials.  Keep in mind that people who graduated a couple of years ago were born after Google was launched (Jackson (a.), n.d.).

The over 35s do embrace the internet. According to Jackson (b.) (n.d.), “Over-35s account for 57 percent of all minutes spent online. They are more likely to own tablets, and when it comes to smartphones, there is really no age distinction between users (Jackson, n.d.). Even with new technology, because the spending power of over 35s is much higher, publishers are more interested in the group that grew up with print – because those over 35 still like and are loyal to print.

Millennials are more likely to abandon print and according to a study from Pew, “a third of under-30s got their news from social media.” Another trend is the shift to video. According to Jackson, “18 to 34 year olds spend 50 percent more time watching online video than TV. Younger users have a shorter attention span and keeping their attention is something that media companies must prepare for. In an article called, “The Average Millennial’s Attention Span—Shorter Than Your Goldfish’s, Tsuruta (2015), says there are three points that explain this phenomenon:

·         They already have the information

·         They are social

·         They value authenticity

My son is an example of this short attention span. Tonight, while I was trying to write this blog, he was watching, “The Hobbit”, “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”, “Chopped”, and “Bar Rescue”....

ALL

 

AT

 

THE

 

SAME

 

TIME

switching channels at the speed of light.

 

References

Jackson, J. (a) (n.d.). Know your audience: How the digital native generation consume media. Retrieved from http://www.themediabriefing.com/article/know-your-audience-how-digital-native-millennial-generation-consume-media

Jackson, J. (b) (n.d.). Know your audience: How the print generations consume media in the digital age. Retrieved from http://www.themediabriefing.com/article/know-your-audience-by-age-the-key-trends-among-different-consumer-age-groups

Tsuruta, A. (n.d.). The average millennial’s attention span—shorter than your goldfish’s. Retrieved from http://www.business2community.com/marketing/the-average-millennials-attention-spanshorter-than-your-goldfishs-01259994