Teens are expanding their social networks to the mobile realm, according to the latest monthly statistics from M:Metrics. The measurement firm found that with 70 percent of 13 to 17-year-olds engaging in social networking or otherwise creating content, Italian teens best their peers in Western Europe and the United States.
"Much as teens were the early adopters of PC-based social networking applications, they have proven to be the innovators in the mobile arena," said Paul Goode, vice president and senior analyst, M:Metrics. "Although teenagers and young adults make up only six to 10 percent of mobile subscribers, they generate more than their fair share of mobile content."
M:Metrics examined the usage of photo messaging, video messaging, IM, chat, dating and usercreated content, including video content and ringtones, among mobile subscribers age 13-17 and 18-24 in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States.
User-Generated Content and Social Networking Application* Usage: October 2006
| Country | 13-17 | 18-24 | All Mobile Subscribers |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | 58.0% | 48.9% | 29.6% |
| Germany | 44.0% | 44.1% | 31.0% |
| Italy | 69.7% | 63.6% | 43.6% |
| Spain | 63.2% | 60.9% | 44.6% |
| UK | 63.5% | 65.9% | 41.0% |
| US | 36.7% | 45.0% | 23.3% |
Source: M:Metrics. Survey of mobile subscribers. Data based on three-month moving average for period ending 31 October, 2006, n= 101,893 mobile subscribers. *Includes IM, chat, dating, photo messaging, video messaging, created own ringtone, watched video sent by friend.
Phone-to-phone photo messaging is the most popular category of user-generated content, with between 19.9 percent of American, and 49.9 percent of Italian teens reporting they sent a photo to another phone in the month of October. Sharing videos captured by a mobile phone also proved to be popular. Again, Italy ranked first in video messaging among teens at 25 percent in the month of October, followed by Spain, at 20.9 percent, United Kingdom at 20 percent, France at 15 percent, Germany at 11.7 percent and the United States at 6.3 percent.
"There is a direct correlation between 3G penetration and video messaging," observed Goode. "With the proliferation of better networks comes moderately-priced, highly capable devices that are appropriate for younger users. As better, cheaper devices enter these markets on faster networks, we would expect mobile content consumption to increase significantly, particularly among this highly-connected demographic."
Below are the findings of its October Benchmark Survey.
French Mobile Subscriber Monthly Consumption of Content and Applications
| Activity | Subscribers (1000s) | Pct | Pct Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sent Text Message | 30,512 | 71.0% | 0.3% |
| Used Photo Messaging | 9,028 | 21.0% | (1.7%) |
| Browsed News and Information | 3,725 | 8.7% | (5.3%) |
| Used Personal E-Mail | 2,659 | 6.2% | 1.5% |
| Purchased Ringtone | 2,385 | 5.5% | (5.8%) |
| Used Mobile Instant Messenger | 1,351 | 3.1% | (2.5%) |
| Purchased Wallpaper or Screensaver | 1,079 | 2.5% | (2.4%) |
| Used Work E-Mail | 898 | 2.1% | 6.6% |
| Downloaded Mobile Game | 534 | 1.2% | 5.4% |
German Mobile Subscriber Monthly Consumption of Content and Applications
| Activity | Subscribers (1000s) | Pct | Pct Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sent Text Message | 36,463 | 81.0% | (0.0%) |
| Used Photo Messaging | 9,481 | 21.1% | (1.4%) |
| Used Personal E-Mail | 2,654 | 5.9% | 3.3% |
| Purchased Ringtone | 2,381 | 5.3% | (9.8%) |
| Browsed News and Information | 1,543 | 3.4% | (6.9%) |
| Used Mobile Instant Messenger | 1,247 | 2.8% | (8.9%) |
| Downloaded Mobile Game | 1,165 | 2.6% | (2.5%) |
| Used Work E-Mail | 1,158 | 2.6% | (2.4%) |
| Purchased Wallpaper or Screensaver | 983 | 2.2% | (11.9%) |
Italian Mobile Subscriber Monthly Consumption of Content and Applications
| Activity | Subscribers (1000s) | Pct | Pct Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sent Text Message | 35,777 | 85.2% | 0.6% |
| Used Photo Messaging | 13,367 | 31.8% | (1.9%) |
| Used Personal E-Mail | 3,883 | 9.2% | (2.7%) |
| Browsed News and Information | 2,862 | 6.8% | 0.3% |
| Purchased Ringtone | 2,481 | 5.9% | (0.3%) |
| Used Mobile Instant Messenger | 2,390 | 5.7% | (9.0%) |
| Used Work E-Mail | 1,944 | 4.6% | (6.1%) |
| Downloaded Mobile Game | 1,533 | 3.7% | 0.2% |
| Purchased Wallpaper or Screensaver | 1,184 | 2.8% | 0.0% |
Spanish Mobile Subscriber Monthly Consumption of Content and Applications
| Activity | Subscribers (1000s) | Pct | Pct Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sent Text Message | 25,782 | 84.5% | 0.4% |
| Used Photo Messaging | 9,001 | 29.5% | 1.9% |
| Used Personal E-Mail | 3,012 | 9.9% | (0.9%) |
| Purchased Ringtone | 2,665 | 8.7% | (4.3%) |
| Used Mobile Instant Messenger | 2,327 | 7.6% | 0.9% |
| Browsed News and Information | 2,212 | 7.3% | (4.2%) |
| Used Work E-Mail | 1,688 | 5.5% | 2.7% |
| Downloaded Mobile Game | 1,539 | 5.0% | 2.6% |
| Purchased Wallpaper or Screensaver | 1,033 | 3.4% | (5.3%) |
U.K. Mobile Subscriber Monthly Consumption of Content and Applications
| Activity | Subscribers (1000s) | Pct | Pct Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sent Text Message | 37,459 | 86.1% | 0.4% |
| Used Photo Messaging | 13,356 | 30.7% | (1.4%) |
| Browsed News and Information | 6,213 | 14.3% | (0.4%) |
| Used Personal E-Mail | 2,808 | 6.5% | 1.0% |
| Purchased Ringtone | 2,321 | 5.3% | (3.8%) |
| Downloaded Mobile Game | 1,952 | 4.5% | 0.6% |
| Used Mobile Instant Messenger | 1,726 | 4.0% | 3.9% |
| Used Work E-Mail | 1,481 | 3.4% | 3.6% |
| Purchased Wallpaper or Screensaver | 955 | 2.2% | (2.6%) |
U.S. Mobile Subscriber Monthly Consumption of Content and Applications
| Activity | Subscribers (1000s) | Pct | Pct Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sent Text Message | 74,996 | 38.7% | 0.3% |
| Used Photo Messaging | 29,111 | 15.0% | 0.5% |
| Browsed News and Information | 22,310 | 11.5% | (4.1%) |
| Purchased Ringtone | 17,497 | 9.0% | (4.9%) |
| Used Personal E-Mail | 17,121 | 8.8% | (0.2%) |
| Used Mobile Instant Messenger | 14,206 | 7.3% | (0.9%) |
| Used Work E-Mail | 10,172 | 5.2% | (0.6%) |
| Downloaded Mobile Game | 6,775 | 3.5% | 2.6% |
| Purchased Wallpaper or Screensaver | 5,867 | 3.0% | (6.6%) |
Posted to the site on 18th December 2006
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