Ofcom Report Identifies “Networked Generation”

LONDON, August 11: According to a new report from British
media regulator Ofcom, an increasing number of 16- to 24-year-olds are turning
away from TV, radio and newspapers in favor of online services, marking the
emergence of a new “networked generation.”

The report indicates that members of this new generation watch
television for one hour less per day than the average television viewer. They
are instead opting for content that can be downloaded onto portable devices
such as iPods and mobile phones, or participating in online communities. More
than 70 percent of 16-to-24 year old Internet users participate in social
networking sites, as compared with 41 percent of all British Internet users.
Further, 37 percent of 18-24 year olds have contributed to a blog or website
message board, compared to 14 percent of all British Internet users.

Of the television they do watch, an even smaller proportion
of their time is spent viewing public service broadcasting channels, down from
74 percent of total viewing among this age group in 2001 to 58 percent today.