The FINANCIAL — For most parents, their kids grow up way too fast. They transform from diaper-wearing toddler to attachment-centric first-grader to a fickle teen in what seems like no time, quickly clamoring for independence, privacy and to make their own choices.
But as young consumers grow up, so do their media habits. In fact, a Nielsen analysis found that as young viewers cognitively and developmentally change, so too do their cross-platform habits. These changes often begin to occur around eight years old, when curiosity, social interaction and specific interests begin to grow in young viewers.
Kids’ media consumption across age ranges is akin to transitioning from strained peas to silverware—with distinct differences in taste, viewing and listening preference, and even WHO they’re viewing with, according to Nielsen.
For instance, while more than 95% of all kids (2-17) prefer to watch traditional television to the tune of over 20 hours weekly—with Hispanic kids averaging about a half-hour more—the analysis found that older kids and teens go online on computers more, as about 29% of teens 14 to 17 years old were online via computer for at least one minute in March 2014.
And as kids progress through the 2-17 year old demo, their independence is undeniable. And what’s more, the incidence of co-viewing becomes less frequent on many platforms.
On traditional TV, the analysis found that 75% of kids 2-4 co-viewed with someone else in the home, but the percentage steadily declines as children age. In fact, only 37% of teens 14-17 years old co-view with someone in the home.
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