Gen X and Gen Y Moms Use Internet Differently
Though both Generation X and Generation Y moms view the internet as a must-have tool for finding child-rearing information, there is a significant generational difference in their online behaviors and preferences, according to (pdf) a study from The Parenting Group and NewMediaMetrics.
Gen Y moms are much more attached to media that connects them to other moms online - such as internet communities, blogs and video-sharing sites - suggesting they prefer to rely on peers rather than experts to help them parent, according to the study.
Moms who are members of Gen Y also are highly involved in creating their own content and show a preference for time-shifting behaviors, such as watching TV online.
The top three activities of Gen Y moms are reading blogs, participating in an online community of moms, and creating and sharing their own video.
In contrast, Gen X moms are less attached to digital media as a whole. They are more likely to engage in task-oriented activities such as shopping online and uploading photos.
The top three online activities of Gen X moms are: using a photo site, rating and reviewing products, and shopping.
This generational dichotomy indicates a shift in the way marketers should be targeting the next new generation of moms online, according to The Parenting Group.
About the study: The study was fielded in April, 2008 among 847 moms who visited the Parenting.com website. To analyze the data, it used NewMediaMetrics’ proprietary Emotional Attachment (EA) Metric, which is unique in that it quantitatively measures emotional attachment and is based on a an academic theory regarding emotional attachments between mothers and children.
How different is “using a photo site”, which could also be called “creating and sharing their own photos” and “creating and sharing their own video”? Sounds more like one group is just more likely to have a video camera…
I recently wrote about this topic with respect to how different generations consume media.
I was at a meeting this week that drove home the big generational divide in online and offline media consumption. At the podium was a 20-something CEO of a new venture that is trying to work with new college grads. In the audience were people mostly twice his age of captains of industry. The young CEO was asked what he thought about using content that was similar to the way Consumer Reports rates and compares products. After a pause and a blank look, he said, “I don’t know what you mean, I never heard of that publication.” That got a big laugh from the audience, but his ignorance was genuine. The Q&A continued, and he mentioned a few moments later how he gets a lot of his information from the Web site HuffingtonPost.com. Now it was the moment of being perplexed for the gentlemen sitting next to me, who leaned over to ask me if I have ever heard of such a publication. His ignorance was also the real deal.
So where do you stand on the Consumer Reports/HuffingtonPost axis? And more importantly, where do your readers stand as well? How savvy are they with using online media to get their information?
You can read more here on my blog post.