46% ARE INTERNET USERS, OF WHICH THREE QUARTERS HAVE THEIR OWN HOMEPAGE…
MORE THAN 75% GO TO MALLS WITH THEIR PARENTS AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH…
THEY’VE GOT PHP 37B TO SPEND ANNUALLY…
TWO-THIRDS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT GLOBAL WARMING….
…CARTOON NETWORK’S KIDS’ LIFESTYLE STUDY, NEW GENERATIONS,
REVEALS ALL THESE AND MORE ABOUT PINOY KIDS TODAY
November 21, 2007 - Cartoon Network today unveiled the results of its latest in-depth study on Pinoy kids and their lifestyle, New Generations Philippines 2007, revealing how kids enjoy greater access to digital technologies and play in the consumer and environmental space today. Not surprisingly, the tweenies – kids 7-14 years old (a combination of tweens and teens), are true digital natives, consuming media for entertainment and social networking, and are in the know about trends and issues – including computer and video games, and concern for global warming.
“Young people have the inherent ability to assimilate new technology and adapt to change at a phenomenal rate, and Filipino kids are no exception, especially in the way they choose to communicate with one another. Whether through text or instant messaging, email or via homepages, kids are readily embracing these channels of communication and socialization as they become more accessible, and are making them their own,” said Duncan Morris, Vice President, Research and Market Development, Turner International Asia Pacific, Ltd.
Internet usage has become much more widespread, with almost half (46%) of kids now using the Internet (used in past 30 days) versus just a quarter (26%) in 2007. 43% of the Internet users send/receive e-mail at least weekly, and 35% using instant messenger in the same timeframe. Kids have been quick to embrace Web 2.0 applications such as video (72% of Internet users aged 7-14 have watched video online) and multi-player games (68%). Notably, social networking is increasingly becoming a part of life, with three quarters (76% of Internet users) having created their own homepage and networks of friends online, and 31% (of total kids 7-14) claiming to have made a friend on the Internet whom they have never met in real life. As a result, kids of all ages are coming to rely on text-based communication, as one third (of total kids 7-14) and 52% of teens 13-14 agree with the statement: “Without e-mail, instant messaging or texting, it would be difficult to stay in touch with my friends.”
Growth in access to digital technologies has done nothing to diminish the importance of television in kids’ lives. With 96% viewing TV “yesterday”, it is the only medium consumed universally by kids on a daily basis, and towers above all other media (radio is the next most widely consumed media with 30% kids listening “yesterday”). Year after year, kids continue to vote “watching television” as their overall favorite leisure activity.
Cartoon Network has commissioned its third New Generations Philippines survey tailored specifically for the Philippines (previous surveys were conducted in 2003 and 2005) It is a quantitative study that provides unique insights into the minds and habits of Filipino kids aged 7-14 years. New Generations 2007 was conducted for Cartoon Network by research company Synovate, via face-to-face, in-home interviews in Metro Manila, Cebu and Davao with a total of 1,000 kids aged 7-14, and one of their parents. This year, a booster sample (200) of moms of younger kids aged 4-6 was added, thereby widening the scope to give a more complete picture of kids than ever before.
Added Morris: “As part of Cartoon Network’s continuing commitment to be the kids’ expert in the Philippines, our New Generations Philippines survey is instrumental in helping us update our knowledge of Pinoy kids, and this time we examined how kids’ lives are being shaped by the changing digital landscape, how they accept, adapt and live with technological advances.”
On other topics, Filipino kids’ combined pocket and gift money scaled up to the 3.7 million kids population in represented areas translates into a staggering Php 37 billion that kids are free to spend annually. There is no shortage of opportunities to spend this pocket/gift money, as 99% of parents claim to visit shopping malls with their kids, and over a quarter (27%) doing so at least weekly. It will not, however, be a surprise if they choose to spend their (or their parents’) money on toys, as it tops the charts in terms of the latest trends/craze they talk about with their friends for both boys and girls.
Despite their fascination with the latest crazes and trends, kids can see the bigger picture as they demonstrated when asked about environmental issues. Three quarters (76%) of parents and two thirds (68%) of kids agree with the statement “Global warming is something that concerns me”. On an even more positive note, the vast majority of parents and kids have indicated an openness to doing something about it, with 95% of kids affirming that they “prefer parents to buy environmentally friendly products”, and 80% of parents agreeing that they are “willing to pay more for something if it’s environmentally safe”.
Summary of key findings:
1) TECHNOLOGY IS WITHIN REACH
• Rapid growth in kids’ access to technology at home (since 2005):
o Hand-held video game system up increased by 90%
o Internet access up by 53%
• Strong growth in items kids personally own or have in their rooms:
o 26% have their own mobile phone, compared to 14% in 2005 (+60%)
o 30% have a TV set in their bedroom (+30%)
2) TELEVISION IS STILL #1
TV is the most heavily-used medium in kids’ lives:
• Television remains as kids’ favorite leisure activity with 96% of kids watched TV “yesterday”
• Looking across all leisure activities, reading [books (excl. school books)] and playing with toys ranked 2nd and 3rd behind TV
• With 64% watching it three or more times a week, Cartoon Network is the most-watched channel amongst cable kids
3) CAUGHT IN THE WEB
• Compared to 2005 with just a quarter (26%) of kids using the internet, internet usage by kids is much more widespread in 2007 with almost half (46%) of kids now using it
• Kids are quick to embrace web 2.0 applications/services, such as video (72% of Internet users aged 7-14 have watched video online) and multiplayer games (68%)
• Three quarters (76% of Internet users) have created their own homepage
• Many are creating networks of friends online with 31% (of total kids 7-14) claim to have made a friend on the Internet whom they have never met in real life
• Kids rely on the Internet as a communications tool, with 43% of users sending/receiving e-mail at least weekly
• 35% use instant messenger weekly
4) THEY ARE A POTENTIAL POWERHOUSE CONSUMER
• Combining pocket money and gift money, and scaling it up to the 3.7 million kids represented by the survey (Metro Manila + Central Visayas + South Mindanao) gives kids a staggering 37 billion Pesos to spend
• Kids receive an average of 169 Pesos in pocket money per week, and kids in Manila receive around a quarter more than their counterparts in Cebu and Davao
• 99% of parents claim to visit shopping malls with their kids, and over a quarter (27%) do so at least weekly
• For both boys and girls, cartoon characters and shows are the next most talked about craze/trend after toys (equal 2nd with clothing/shoes among girls)
5) HEROES AND HEROINES
• Angel Locsin is the favorite celebrity amongst girls (27%) and Richard Gutierrez for boys (11%)
• Asked to choose between Lebron James and James Yap, 58% of kids chose local basketball celebrity James Yap over the NBA’s Lebron James as their MVP
6) THEY KNOW WHAT’S GOING ON
• Three quarters (76%) of parents and two thirds (68%) of kids agree that global warming is a concern
• 95% of kids prefer parents buy environmentally friendly products
• 80% of parents are willing to pay more for something if it’s environmentally safe
Cartoon Network conducts similar studies in a number of countries in the Asia Pacific region and regards New Generations as an integral part of its on-going quest to learn about kids, their lifestyles, opinions and behaviour.
Cartoon Network is one of the leading kids’ channels in the Philippines. Launched in 2001, Cartoon Network’s dedicated Philippine feed offers the best in animated entertainment, drawing from the world’s largest cartoon library of Warner Bros., MGM and Hanna-Barbera titles. The Network also showcases popular original series such as Ben 10, Codename: Kids Next Door, The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy and Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, and is also home to many innovative programming blocks like Chunky Weekend Toons and Toonami. To make the Network truly relevant to Filipino kids, the quality premium content is coupled with unique and relevant on-air promotions, packaging and initiatives such as the Cartoon Network Awards of Excellence, and Cartoon Network Birthday Blast. Cartoon Network is one of the most popular entertainment channels among kids and is currently seen in over 50 million cable homes in the region.
