It turns out that teens are spending more time online than watching TV, and they may well be doing more than hacking into networks, sending spam and downloading bootleg music files. Go figure. AdAge.com quotes a new survey from Harris Interactive and Teenage Research Unlimited (I can never find anything I want on Harris Interactive, and Teenage Research don’t seem to have posted any press release) so I can’t link to the original survey), saying that “teens and young adults ages 13 to 24 now spend more time every day on the Internet than they do watching TV.”
During an average week, according to the report, 13- to 24-year-olds spend 16.7 hours online (excluding e-mail); 13.6 hours watching TV; 12 hours listening to the radio; 7.7 hours talking on the phone (including landlines and cell phones); and six hours reading books and magazines to keep up on personal interests. The article also says that “the findings indicate that they approach the Web with an agenda, making search engines their first stop. For example, reports about new fashion trends in print magazines routinely inspire an online search for more information and shopping opportunities”.