NEW YORK – Nov. 20, 2013 – In a presentation to advertisers, Nickelodeon released its latest research insights into today’s kids–those born since 2005–who are growing up markedly different from the Millennial generation before them. For these kids, whose eldest members are just turning 9, their emerging hallmarks and traits include: being extremely close to their parents, more so than prior generations; having a profound affinity for being seen as smart and funny by peers and family; and creating their own unique relationship to technology.
“We’re in an important generational moment as the Millennials age up and these younger, post-millennial kids take their place,” said Ron Geraci, Executive Vice President of Research and Planning for Nickelodeon. “As this transition occurs, it’s important to identify the new generation’s motivators and to understand how these kids engage with the world around them. At Nickelodeon, we are pairing our own original work with reliable third-party data to tell the comprehensive story of today’s kids, particularly when it comes to their relationship to tech.”
Drawn largely from a proprietary Nickelodeon Consumer Insights study titled “The Story of Me,” the presentation at the network’s Times Square headquarters compared and contrasted the kids of today with kids of a similar age 10 years ago, as well as highlighting select third-party data about kids’ media consumption.
Today’s generation of kids is demonstrating defining characteristics that set them apart from generations prior. Select findings and highlights from the presentation include:
MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY USE*: Kids today are being entertained on multiple devices, but TV still rules, and its importance is growing.

• Media consumption among kids has grown over the past four years to nearly 35 hours per week, presenting an increase of 2.2 hours since 2009.
• TV usage is up 12% versus nine years ago, according to Nielsen, despite the many alternative devices available to them including tablets, computers and games consoles.
• Computer and gaming consoles make up 27% of kids’ daily media consumption.
• While tablet adoption rates have increased, their adoption still represents a small slice of the pie, at 8%.
• Though computer and smartphone usage is up among kids, gaming is their number-one activity across devices. 96% of kids say they use their computer for gaming, compared to 88% on the tablet and 86% on the smartphone.
• Three-quarters of kids say they watch short form video on their iDevice, and consuming long-form programming is growing: more than half of kids with an iDevice now watch long-form content, a 23% lift over last year.

FAMILY: Today’s kids have Gen Xers as parents, whose intense parenting style creates tight-knit bonds among family members.

• 8 out of 10 kids say they wish they could spend more time with their parents.
• Kids have very close relationships with their siblings, with 7 in 10 saying they love their sibling “no matter what”.
• Kids say they trust their mother more than anyone else, with 93% saying they trust her more than their father, doctor, policemen and the President of the United States.
• When it comes to making decisions, 94% of families share everything or most things; and 8 in 10 parents discuss purchases with their kids ahead of time because there are emotional benefits in making decisions together.

PEERS: When it comes to making friends or fitting in, kids believe fitting in with peers is less important than being different, a contrast to the thinking of their predecessors, the Millennials.

• Kids state that being nice, smart and funny are more important than typical status signifiers like clothing and types of music.
• 8 in 10 kids say they care more about getting good grades than being popular.

SELF-PERCEPTION: Most kids today say they are smarter than their peers.

• 8 in 10 kids today believe that they are smarter than most other kids their age.
• Humor is important to this generation, with 74% describing themselves as funny, and 50% ranking themselves between 10 and 11 on an 11-point scale–with 11 representing “very funny”.
• Kids say they are happy, and they have a strong sense of self. They believe they are nice to people, smart and that they make their parents happy.
• They are self-assured, with 96% saying they believe they can accomplish anything they want to if they work hard enough.

*Device data was pulled from Nickelodeon’s device tracker taken in May of 2013. Cited Nielsen research was taken from data compiled from September 2012 to August 2013.
Nickelodeon, now in its 34th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books and feature films. Nickelodeon’s U.S. television network is seen in nearly 100 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 18 consecutive years. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com.  Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B).
 

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Contacts:
Thamar Romero                           Joy Gulledge
212.846.7491                                    212.846.6694
thamar.romero@nick.com                   joy.gulledge@nick.com