Pew Report Reveals Proliferation of Online Video

WASHINGTON, July 26:
According to the results of a survey from the Pew Internet
& American Life Project, the use of online video continues to proliferate
through social networking features, with 57 percent of online video viewers
sharing links with others, and 75 percent receiving links to watch video that
others have sent to them.

The report
shows that young adults are actively exploiting the participatory features of
online video, which includes rating content, posting feedback or uploading
video. Overall, just 8 percent of adult Internet users say they have uploaded
video content online, while 15 percent of Internet users aged 18-29 have
contributed video. Young adults also stand out for their video viewing
preferences, with comedy the biggest draw among this age group. Among young
adults, 56 percent watch humorous videos, compared to only 43 percent who say
they watch news videos.

"Young
adults are among the most contagious carriers when it comes to understanding
how viral videos propagate online," said Mary Madden, the senior research
specialist at the project and lead author of the report. "Younger users
are the most eager and active contributors to the online video sphere; they are
more likely than older users to watch, upload, rate, comment upon and share the
video they find."

The survey
asked respondents about ten different types of online video content. News
content is the most popular genre with every age group except for those aged
18-29, with 37 percent of adult Internet users watching or downloading news
videos online. Thirty-one percent watch or download comedy or humorous videos,
followed by 22 percent for music videos and educational videos. Nineteen
percent say they watch or download animation or cartoons online, while 16
percent watch or download movies or TV shows. Meanwhile, 15 percent opt for
political videos, 14 percent for sports videos and 13 percent for
advertisements.

Professional
videos are generally preferred to amateur productions online, but amateur
content appeals to coveted segments of the young male audience. For young adult
men, some 43 percent of online video users in this demographic express a clear
preference for professional video, while 34 percent say they prefer amateur
content. Another 19 percent of male video viewers aged 18-29 say they enjoy
both amateur and professional content equally.

Overall, 62
percent of online video viewers say that their favorite videos are those that
are "professionally produced," while 19 percent of online video
viewers express a preference for content "produced by amateurs."
Another 11 percent say they enjoy both professionally produced video and
amateur online video equally.

These findings
come from a Pew Internet & American Life Project survey of 2,200 adults,
aged 18 and older, conducted February 15-March 7, 2007. Some 1,492 of those
interviewed were Internet users.