mobileYouth® Culture

More research is out showing that today’s youth view their mobile phones as an extension of the online lives from their PCs. The report from In-Stat points out that the generation aged 8 to 27 use their mobile phones to access their social networks wherever they are. This news is great for companies attempting to bring PC content to mobiles. As content is pulled to mobile devices, publishers will pay to make sure it arrives in a readable format and quickly enough to satiate user demand, mean

written by Kevin Walker

It is pretty much a universal belief in the advertising/entertainment circles that African American youth are pretty much the initiators of many trends that eventually reach the mainstream. Is that still true?

As an agency that prides ourselves on being rooted in research we are seeing that this is not necessarily the case.

We recently went to LA and Atlanta to do some trendspotting on behalf of one of our Clients, and what we saw developing was antithetical to that traditional belief that Black kids start trends. What we witnessed was that many African American [#%0#2]youth[/#%0#2] are mimicking the fashion, musical taste, and activities of the Williamsburg, Brooklyn “hipsters” and West Coast skate punks. We are talking about young people wearing skinny jeans, the hipster scarfs, backpacks, streetwear graphic tees, etc. In addition to the fashions, we noticed that many Black [#%0#3]youth[/#%0#3] in Atlanta and LA were into skateboarding and BMX biking. The icons of this Black hipster movement are Kanye West, Spankrock, The Gym Class Heroes, and Pharrell Williams. The cool clothing brands are no longer Phat Farm, and Sean Jean, they are now Hollister, Ed Hardy, Abercrombie and Fitch, Krewe, The Hundreds, and Crooks and Castles. It should be noted that none of these brands originated from urban hip-hop icons.

Did skateboarding originate in the hood? What about BMX biking? Or the skinny jeans trend? The answer is no. As you may or may not know, these are activities that emanate from the Southern California suburban areas.. So we see this new dynamic at work where suburban trends are shaping the taste of Black urbanites. Our [#%1#2]research[/#%1#2] points to the internet being one of the key catalyst for this new dynamic. My Space, Youtube, celebtity gossip blogs have democratized informational flow. So the influence dynamic becomes two way (suburban to urban, urban to suburban). This is a HUGE trend we see developing that will shape attitudes towards racial identity, and [#%0#4]youth[/#%0#4] trends for years to come. Issues of class also come into play here. The bottom line is that corporations and marketers cannot continue to live on past assumptions. Dynamics are different and agencies like ours will become more valued partners as these dynamucs change so quickly.. Real time [#%1#3]research[/#%1#3] and trendspotting will continue to gain in stature.

What can youth achieve without adults?

Fascinating insights from Sugata Mitra’s TED talk on [#%0#2]youth[/#%0#2] learning in India. For those of you interested in development issues, [#%0#3]youth[/#%0#3] and learning – this is a must. Raises some fascinating questions about education and will be a long standing testament to the power of [#%0#4]youth[/#%0#4].

mobile learning

If you are one of those people wondering when “convergence” will ship, we have news for you. It already has.

Today’s youth have already “converged.” By hook or by crook, the reality is young people are using all their devices in symphony despite the fact that we haven’t yet made it easy for them to do it.

So where should we focus, what do they want? Here are a few insights from our research:

- Nearly half want to watch TV on their phone (mostly video on demand)

- 32% want Internet on their TV

- 23% want to conduct teleconferences or chat with their friends

- 23% what to share data across devices – address books, files, photos, etc.

We think this means we need to get busy and based on our research, here’s why:

Young people are ready for convergence.
They already understand which tools are best for the job and they see the opportunity for seamless integration across devices. Getting access to the right tools does not appear to be a barrier for them. And they keep asking for a “single point of entry” to access all their services. Isn’t this something we all want?

Today’s [#%0#2]youth[/#%0#2] want fewer devices that deliver more.
Ideally they would have one device that’s portable and one that delivers a high quality picture (think high-definition television). They assume both will have Internet access, be able to talk to each other and the ability to store their content.

Sharing information and experiences are important.
The desire for Buddy Lists, chat, and teleconferencing were all mentioned frequently. Keeping up with their friends (knowing what their friends know) is a vital part of the entertainment mix. And they want to push or concurrently watch content with friends.

Want to know more? Let us know. We’d be happy to provide you with a briefing on the other lessons we have learned from our Lab Members at Alcatel-Lucent.

, Do you get digital marketing? Are you currently working at a media owner in the youth space – if yes we’d love to hear about you…., , , , This boutique size outfit have just secured extensive funding and are looking to roll out there …

I got the email below from my new best friend in the Australian Mobile Phone market – we met via Twitter and his name will be revealed in an interview later this week maybe tomorrow.  But it is a great report.

The following link will take you to the AIMIA Australian Mobile Phone Lifestyle Index.
 
http://www.aimia.com.au/enews/events/AMPLI%202008/AIMIA_ReportAugust2008_FULL_Final.pdf
 
“The AMPLI [...]SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: “Australia Mobile Phone Lifestyle”, url: “http://www.gomonews.com/australia-mobile-lifestyl/” });

Get Edgy

Insights from Sugata Mitra’s TED talk on youth learning in India.

younique, presentation, social media, youth

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