Brazil, Russia, and U.S. Youth Favor Internet Over TV

In Brazil, Russia, and the U.S., young adults aged 15-24 years old see the Internet as convenient, fun, necessary, safe, and social. That’s according to “How Do Global Youth View the Internet? Implicit Association Testing Reveals the Answer,” a report released jointly from IDC and RKM Research and Communications.

The Internet holds positive associations for 15-24 year olds in all three countries. Most see online as fun, necessary, safe, social, and convenient. The group said they see TV as inconvenient and boring. These associations are weaker among Americans in the age group, suggesting the Internet has become a fixture in the U.S. and many young adults take the medium for granted.

Each of the three countries has slightly different user behavior. American youths are more likely to use the Internet each day, though Brazil’s young Internet users tend to use the Web on a daily basis. In Russia, Internet use among young adults tends to be to obtain news. In Brazil and the U.S., the groups tend to shop more online than the Russian cohort.

Reliance on the Internet grows as the current generation comes of age, and IDC’s VP of the Global Research Organization, Carol Glasheen, said there are significant economic implications. “Much of this success will depend on the ability of advertisers and marketers to understand and address perceptions and concerns of the current youth population,” she said.

The findings are part of a survey of 302 15-24 year olds in the U.S., Brazil, and Russia. The survey looks at how teens and young adults in each country view the Internet. It includes how much time youths from each country spend on the Internet and watching TV. Using response-time methodology that measures associations to numerous concepts that predict Internet purchase behavior, the study looks at implicit attitudes toward each medium in those surveyed.