A large number of tweens, kids between the ages of eight and 12, own mobile phones and make extensive use of them for social interactions, according to a new report released by The Nielsen Company.
The study, Kids on the Go: Mobile Usage by U.S. Teens and Tweens, reports that 35 percent of tweens now own a mobile phone and use them for a variety of activities such as text messaging, surfing the internet and downloading music and video in addition to making voice calls.
Nielsen found that tweens are using mobile phones at home to download ring tones, music, movies and games.
Fifty-eight percent of tweens who used their phones to download a movie did so at home. Sixty-four percent who downloaded music also did so while at home.
"Tweens use their mobile phones, and media in general, in very unique and important ways," said Jeff Herrmann, vp of mobile media for Nielsen Mobile, in a press release. "Marketers and media executives need to understand these 'digital natives' as they mature and reshape the way we all think about new and traditional media."
Discussion Question: Do you see tweens using mobile devices in unique ways when compared to other age segments of the population? How will these "digital natives" reshape retail marketing as they mature? How long do you think it will be before the impact is seen in terms of marketing media mix, types of messaging, etc.?