More than two-thirds of men age 18-34 say they cannot live without the internet vs. television, but 74% would rather have sex than surf the web, according to (pdf) a study from Break Media, conducted by Hall and Partners.
The study, which was designed to determine what men (age 18-34) are doing online and how they respond to internet advertising, found that this demographic – which views itself as responsible and conformist overall – spends close to 22 hours on the internet per week, goes online for entertainment, and prefers to spend time on the internet rather than TV.
Findings about men’s online behavior:
- 69% of men age 18-34 say they can’t live without the internet, vs. 31% for television.
- 98% of men go online from home, while 54% go online from work.
- 63% have a smart phone and one in four use their mobile device to connect to the web.
- 40% use the internet for more than 22 hours per week.
- 36% say they can’t live without the internet for socializing.
- 33% say they can’t live without online entertainment.
As important as the internet is, the survey found that making time for real-life relationships still trumps surfing online. Nearly two-thirds (65%) of young men are in a relationship, 79% would rather meet a woman out on the town than online, 71% prefer “a date with a hot girl to a poker game with the boys” and 74% would rather have sex than surf the web.
The survey also looked at top activities online, which include visiting social networking sites (63%), playing video games (60%), playing computer games (51%), forwarding links to online video (31%), reading blogs (31%), shopping (30%), commenting on online content (28%), and uploading photos to the web (23%).
Men and Online Advertising
The majority of men surveyed say that they often recall online advertising after they go offline, and nearly half of respondents have purchased a product or service as a result of an online advertisement.
This demographic proves to be very receptive to certain types of online advertising, Break Media said. According to the research, men aged 18-34 not only tolerate ads with a game or contest, but more than one-third actually like the experience.
In addition:
- 59% of men age 18-34 notice online ads.
- 47% have made a purchase as a result of an online ad.
- 35% like ads that enable them to play a game.
- 34% like online ads that enable them to participate in a contest.
In terms of personality attributes, men 18-34 see themselves as:
- Conformist: Only 26% think they are trendsetters.
- Responsible: Only 18% agree that having fun is more important than being responsible.
- Green: 53% say they care about the environment.
- Social: 49% claim to have no trouble meeting new people; 51% like to spend as much time hanging out with friends as possible; only 20% said they valued appearance over personality when it comes to attraction.
- Adventuresome: 68% enjoy traveling to new places; 61% enjoy spending time outdoors.
- Laid back: Only 38% say they live a fast-paced life.
- Not wellness-centric: 38% claim to lead a healthy lifestyle; however 45% say their appearance is very important to them.
About the survey: The study was undertaken by Break Media to provide a guide for advertisers looking to validate online ad spend and determine the best creative ad formats to help drive engagement and build brands. Hall and Partners polled a nationally representative sample of more than 500 males age 18-34 who access the internet at least once per month.
