Consuming Media

[Lady Dragonfly]

If I could hope to distract you darlings from the enthralling reminiscence of juvenile ruptures, happy birthdays and sinister conspiracies, and for a brief moment redirect your attention from physiology to technology, I would humbly ask you to read the following fragment of an article written by Stefanie Olsen. Highlights are mine.

"For teens, consuming media is a full-time job.

…Americans aged 13 to 18 spend more than 72 hours a week using electronic media--defined as the Internet, cell phones, television, music and video games. Because teens are known for multitasking, their usage of devices can overlap.
…..
The Harrison Group, whose 2006 Teen Trends study was sponsored by VNU Business Media, surveyed 1,000 Americans aged 13 to 18 on their thoughts and habits, to extrapolate trends for the estimated 25.2 million teens in the United States. This is the third year of the study.

The study estimates that despite their age, teens have great purchasing power, thanks to money coming in from part-time jobs and parents. Teenagers spend about $195 billion annually on clothes, eating out, cars, movies and cell phones, according to the report.

They're also spending money on technology.
For 2006, one-third of teens reported owning an Apple Computer iPod, up from only 1 percent in 2003, according to the study. More than half said they also own and play Sony's PlayStation 2, and one-third said they own an original Microsoft Xbox game console. But as many as three quarters reported playing video games on a regular basis."


My questions:

1. How close does this description match your lifestyle (or if you are an old geezer, your kids’ lifestyle)?
2. On what would you rather spend your fair share of $195 billion?
3. What devices do you use simultaneously and why? (I shouldn’t have asked…)
3. Comments? Rambling remarks?

[C Elegans]

1. I am neither a teenager, nor old enough to have teenage kids, so my answers are irrelevant as a comparison. I spend a lot of time using a computer since a large part of my work is done with the aid of computers (data analysis, calculations, reading, writing articles).

I very rarely watch TV (only football), 99% of my mobile phone use is profession and mostly quite brief. I don't play computer games (sadly, I'd like to) and I only listen to music by electronic devices while doing a specific type of routine analysis work at the lab.

2. Funding my research projects.

3. I use a special type of computer and my mp3-player simultaneously while doing the routine analysis work I mentioned above. I often use my laptop simultaneously as watching TV, if the football game I'm watching is getting boring for some reason. If I am in front of my computer when the phone rings, I usually continue whatever I'm doing at the computer while talking in the mobile.

I am generally a constantly multitasking person, but I rarely use electronical devices for this.

4. I haven't got much to say. The fact that a lot of young people in the Western world spend an unhealthy amount of time engaging in so called "entertainment" that distracts them from living their lives, is a fact that is relatively well studied and has been discussed many times before on this forum.

[Kipi]

1) Okay, I'm not teenager anymore, but my "style of living" hasn't changed much in last two years, so I'm going to answer anyway...

Even though I tend to use electronic devices a lot, I hardly use my money to anything else than few random games, even less to random movies, and some money to music. I don't eat much out, only occasionally with my parents and at times with my friends, but that's not usual... Of course, I'm not counting those times here when I eat with other basketball referees after game, as it's tradition, and I pay only half of the times...

2) Probably would upgrade my computer, but honestly I don't have much clues where to spend it all... also buying own appartment and/or car would be good idea...

3) Well, now I'm currently using three devices at the same time: my computer, stereo system and television. Nevertheless what I'm doing, if it doesn't require silence, I'm listening music, so usually I have at least two devices at use simultaneously.

My use of television is mostly to gather news of what is happening all over the world, and at times I watch sport, mostly basketball or icehockey. My computer is more in use as entertaining device, as I tend to watch movies with it, play games, and just lurk on the different forums...

On the other hand, I also use computer quite a lot on working and in studies, as I study IT in university. That's also one big reason why I'm using electronic devices very much, as I've been working on different things last few years quite much. And, as I tend to listen music while working/studying, I multitask quite lot.

4) Well, in my side I haven't much to comment, as I do much more than just play with computers... I exercise 4-9 times in a week (I count one basketball game as one exercise), I work a lot with different things related to basketball and besides of that I have my studies as well... But in generally, I would say to most teenagers the electronic devices has formed an problem, which may be seen in the fact of youngsters getting more and more fat today...

[fable]

1. How close does this description match your lifestyle (or if you are an old geezer, your kids’ lifestyle)?

I'm an old geezer, but without kids. It doesn't come close to matching my lifestyle. I gave up watching television 14 years ago. My wife and I spend very little on media technology; we still have an old television without any external connections, save to a DVD player. I get my news from a combination of shortwave and various websites, and I use a computer for work, but I barely get any time to play. I suppose my favorite media is the audio CD, since music has always been an important part of my life. I do put a lot of time in online, however.

2. On what would you rather spend your fair share of $195 billion?

Saving for extended, foreign vacations, books, live concerts, audio CDs, gifts for each other. At this point, we're slating most of our funds for a new house, probably in the April/May/June timeframe.

3. What devices do you use simultaneously and why? (I shouldn’t have asked…)

I'll sometimes have an audio CD playing while working on the computer, or the staereo running while on the treadmill.

[Faberge]

Originally Posted by Lady Dragonfly

1. How close does this description match your lifestyle (or if you are an old geezer, your kids’ lifestyle)?

I might watch television on the evenings for a few hours. It really depends on the day and what is broadcasted. If there is one of those “quality” documentaries going on, I will probably watch it. Plus then there are about two/three fictive series that I follow and two political satires. That is pretty much all of it.

I also read newspapers; the foreign news and cartoon strips are something I read casually. If I have time on my hands, I might read the whole paper, except sport pages.

With Internet, I do browse forums, and sometimes I can be seen participating in the discussions. It is not an actual certainty though. One-liners are easy, and I’ve been posting those lately. I’d like to have the time to participate in ID&D discussions, but unfortunately when I am satisfactorily build up my post and checked the facts, there are silly rules such as “do not revive old threads”.

Can’t say my money use would match with American average.

But my share on “Entertainment” does get close to the 72 hours, I’ve added possible school works to the sum.

Originally Posted by Lady Dragonfly

2. On what would you rather spend your fair share of $195 billion?

Make the world better place to live? I’d like it. But thinking realistically, I’d stash in a bank and wait for the inflation to make me poor.

Originally Posted by Lady Dragonfly

3. What devices do you use simultaneously and why? (I shouldn’t have asked…)

One at a time, well, I do listen to radio while I am driving a car so wouldn’t that be two technological gadgets?

Originally Posted by Lady Dragonfly

4. Comments? Rambling remarks?

There is one, can I see the source?

[galraen]

1. How close does this description match your lifestyle (or if you are an old geezer, your kids’ lifestyle)?

Describes it remarkably well, yet more proof that I'm 56 going on 15!

2. On what would you rather spend your fair share of $195 billion?

My share is too small to matter a darn.

3. What devices do you use simultaneously and why? (I shouldn’t have asked…)

PC, TV (mostly sports, news and the History channel), Cell phone, CD player.

3. Comments? Rambling remarks?

Some 'adults' can't resist trying to find something to bash 'kids' with, it happens to every generation, mine included. Those 'adults' really need to get a life, and stop obsessing about what 'kids' do with their time.

[BlueSky]

1. How close does this description match your lifestyle (or if you are an old geezer, your kids’ lifestyle)?
2. On what would you rather spend your fair share of $195 billion?
3. What devices do you use simultaneously and why? (I shouldn’t have asked…)
3. Comments? Rambling remarks?

1. Old geezer here, with a house full of twenty-somethings.... and Yes we multi-task and use lots of tech. 3 computers, a portable hard drive, 3 different gaming consoles, 2 stereos, 3 TV's but not used much.
2. cannot even think of billions....
3. Always have music on, either playing on stereo or computer, needless to say one of us is always on computer.
4.? 3.?

[Lady Dragonfly]

Oh my, I did not realize we have so many old geezers playing with the gadgets around here. Where is the young blood?! Given the fact that wishes haven't been granted for a long time I assume the evil (super)mods banned all youngsters.

@CE

4. I haven't got much to say. The fact that a lot of young people in the Western world spend an unhealthy amount of time engaging in so called "entertainment" that distracts them from living their lives, is a fact that is relatively well studied and has been discussed many times before on this forum.

As an old geezer (not as old as fable though ), I have a short-term memory loss, especially episodic, so I would not remember that.

@Kipi

2) Probably would upgrade my computer, but honestly I don't have much clues where to spend it all... also buying own appartment and/or car would be good idea...

I'll tell you how to Learn Spending Money. Get married, Kipi, and all clues in the world will be at your disposal.

Young and unmarried come to the ideas like that one:

Faberge

Make the world better place to live? I’d like it. But thinking realistically, I’d stash in a bank and wait for the inflation to make me poor.

See?

With Internet, I do browse forums, and sometimes I can be seen participating in the discussions. It is not an actual certainty though. One-liners are easy, and I’ve been posting those lately. I’d like to have the time to participate in ID&D discussions, but unfortunately when I am satisfactorily build up my post and checked the facts, there are silly rules such as “do not revive old threads”.

All new things are well forgotten old ones, just start a new thread.
CE said I've done just like that. Or did she?.. Damn, I don't remember.

@fable

I'm an old geezer, but without kids. It doesn't come close to matching my lifestyle. I gave up watching television 14 years ago.

You mean you don't watch Deal or No Deal or Bush addressing the nation???

I'll sometimes have an audio CD playing while working on the computer, or the staereo running while on the treadmill.

You consider treadmill a gadget? Man, you need help.
Come to think of it, it can be called a gizmo after all since there are moving parts, so maybe you are really multitasking while running on the treadmill while listening to the stereo.

@Galraen
Describes it remarkably well, yet more proof that I'm 56 going on 15!

That is what I want to hear!!!!!

Some 'adults' can't resist trying to find something to bash 'kids' with, it happens to every generation, mine included. Those 'adults' really need to get a life, and stop obsessing about what 'kids' do with their time.

Yes, I'd rather have kids killing monsters than killing each other.

@Bluesky

1. Old geezer here, with a house full of twenty-somethings.... and Yes we multi-task and use lots of tech. 3 computers, a portable hard drive, 3 different gaming consoles, 2 stereos, 3 TV's but not used much.

I am sure you have more, you just forgot.

[BlueSky]

Originally Posted by Lady Dragonfly

@Bluesky


I am sure you have more, you just forgot.

I read somewhere that as we get older we forget about 20 percent of what we know....
hmmmmmm maybe it's 80 percent

[Cartell]

It doesn't do that good a job for me personally, at least not anymore. I can remeber a time when a particular friend of mine, and I played videogames constantly. However, once we got cars, we play only when we have little else to do. I find it is actually more of passing the time then playing for playing sakes. However, there are days when I want little more then to veg in front of a computer screen. And certian games do catch my eye.

However, in regards to the other aspects of the thread, then I claim guilty on all counts. Most of friends (myself included) have Ipods. And movies/eating out is done at least once a week, (Surprised waitors still put up with us week after week )

Multitasking, usaully involves, Ipod, computer and homework. Sometimes a phone is thrown into the mix. My share of the 195 billion.... probably college.

[Gilliatt]

Well, this does not reflect what I used to be as a teenager or what I am right now. As a teen, my main activity was hanging out with my friends and my money was spent mostly on CDs (ok buying CDs is part of it, but only one out of many). I gradually changed from buying lots of CDs and a few books to buying lots of books and a few CDs, and also became more solitary. Now, in my early thirties, I still spend on books and I save money to buy a house in the middle of nature, preferably close to a lake.

What I don't like about this study is the way they turn their statistics. If a teenager spends two hours playing WOW while listening to music, and with the TV in the background, they will count it as 6 hours, while it is only two hours. (My brother puts is TV on when he wakes up and puts it off when he goes to bed, that does not mean he is watching TV 16 hours a day.) And then they tell us teens spend 72 hours a week using electronic media because the bigger the number, the more impressive it is. But if that were really the case, if teens were actually spending 72 hours a week on that, they would not have enough time to sleep enough, do their homework and have a part time job! (I also wonder how many of those teens actually bought their Ipod, Xbox, PS2, etc. and how many received them as a gift.)

About multitasking. I know some people really multitask, but many also confuse multitasking with alternating tasks. A good example is MSN. I can't tell how many people told me they love MSN because it enables them to do many things at the same time. What they don't realize, is that they cannot reply to three different conversations and read a webpage at the same time, they just alternate those things (while the others are waiting for a reply). I have also seen this often with my nephew. My sister is very impressed because he can watch a hockey game, listen to music and do his homework at the same time… but when you ask him who scored the last Canadiens' goal, he does not have a clue most of the time… (I am not pretending that knowing who scored the last Canadiens' goal is a matter of life and death, I just want to point out that multitasking is not always what it seems.)

[Lady Dragonfly]

Originally Posted by Gilliatt

Now, in my early thirties, I still spend on books and I save money to buy a house in the middle of nature, preferably close to a lake.

Gotta save a lotta money then: lake properties ain't cheep even if the lakes are now 50% industrial waste and 50% sewage.

Originally Posted by Gilliatt

What I don't like about this study is the way they turn their statistics. If a teenager spends two hours playing WOW while listening to music, and with the TV in the background, they will count it as 6 hours, while it is only two hours.
.....
And then they tell us teens spend 72 hours a week using electronic media because the bigger the number, the more impressive it is. But if that were really the case, if teens were actually spending 72 hours a week on that, they would not have enough time to sleep enough, do their homework and have a part time job!

I am not aware how the study was actually performed but 72 hours a week roughly means 10 hours a day, maybe weekends are heavier, let's say 15/15 then it will be 8 hours. Including text messaging while in the bathroom (sort of multitasking). I can believe that.
And who said they do their home work?

Originally Posted by Gilliatt

About multitasking. I know some people really multitask, but many also confuse multitasking with alternating tasks.

I agree. If you don't do your homework you wouldn't know the meaning of many, many long words.

[Gilliatt]

Originally Posted by Lady Dragonfly

I am not aware how the study was actually performed but 72 hours a week roughly means 10 hours a day, maybe weekends are heavier, let's say 15/15 then it will be 8 hours. Including text messaging while in the bathroom (sort of multitasking). I can believe that.
And who said they do their home work?

LOL! I prefer not to reply to your last sentence.

There are 168 hours per week. If we agree that the average teen wakes up at 7 AM for breakfast, bus and comes back from school at 4 PM, we have 45 hours (5 x 9). If we agree that they sleep approx. 8 hours a day, we have 56 hours (8 x 7). So there are 67 hours left and we have not included supper, hanging with friends, having party, part time job, etc. That is why I presumed they were adding the hours of the multitasking, I just can't believe teen are doing absolutely nothing else.

About the lake, I have unfortunately already noticed, it is getting more expensive each year.

[Lady Dragonfly]

Originally Posted by Gilliatt

There are 168 hours per week. If we agree that the average teen wakes up at 7 AM for breakfast, bus and comes back from school at 4 PM, we have 45 hours (5 x 9). If we agree that they sleep approx. 8 hours a day, we have 56 hours (8 x 7). So there are 67 hours left and we have not included supper, hanging with friends, having party, part time job, etc. That is why I presumed they were adding the hours of the multitasking, I just can't believe teen are doing absolutely nothing else.

OK, suppose they really get up at 7am. What do they do first? Right, turn on their CD player. And what do they stash in their backbacks?

Answer:
Wired News: What's Really in Their Backpacks

And that was in the stone age, in 2001.

[Gilliatt]

Originally Posted by Lady Dragonfly

OK, suppose they really get up at 7am. What do they do first? Right, turn on their CD player. And what do they stash in their backbacks?

Answer:
Wired News: What's Really in Their Backpacks

And that was in the stone age, in 2001.

You're sure right about that point. It reminds me that I used to hide my walkman earphones under my hair and listen to music all day at school! I had forgotten that part. (It is not surprising that my grades dropped at that time.)