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Media release
For immediate release
Young Australians reach for the pause button: New research
Lifelounge launches Urban Market Report 10/11 in conjunction with Sweeney Research
Melbourne, Australia: Monday 11 October 2010
–
Young Australians are shutting down Facebook,
turning their phones to silent and losing themselves in literature to counterbalance their frenetic digital
lives according to the latest report from Australia’s specialist youth media and communications
company, Lifelounge Group, in conjunction with Sweeney Research.
Launched today the pre-eminent annual study into the attitudes, behaviours and purchasing power of
16 to 30 year olds –
Urban Market Research (UMR)
–
reveals
Australia’s youth are balancing the
demands of being constantly ‘on’ by turning to more organic pursuits.
Reading a book is the most popular offline past time with 56% of people spending at least an hour each
week getting cosy with a good novel. Dinner parties, going to the movies, visiting an art gallery and the
theatre are also core elements of the socialising mix.
While this trend of pressing ‘pause’ is on the rise, this isn’t to suggest young people are spending less
time online. To the contrary, Facebook was rated the number one web site with a massive 47% of
people spending five hours or more social networking each week. Google is the number two site.
While multitasking when consuming online and other media has been growing in recent years, it is now
the norm. The research confirms life online is frantic, with over 80% of the youth market ‘doing other
things’ while surfing the web and being active on social networks.
Dion Appel, CEO of Lifelounge Group –
the company behind UMR –
said: “Young people literally
are
doing ten things at once these days. They’re almost always in front of one screen or another Facebook-
ing, surfing the web, talking on Instant Messenger while keeping an eye on what’s on the box.
“Pressing pause is not about switching off,” Appel explained.
“It’s about temporarily alleviating
the
pressure.
The youth market has become a generation of digital multi-taskers
and they’re starting to
experience digital overload.”
Dr. Cassie Govan, the co-author of UMR from Sweeney Research added: “The pressure they are feeling
to take a pause
is a
result of their deep seated
need
to stay socially connected and culturally aware.
Falling behind isn’t an option. There’s an ever present undercurrent of anxiety around this fear of
missing out or dropping off the
pace. We call this ‘exclusion anxiety’ and it’s a function of wanting to
avoid feeling socially aloof or culturally detached.”
For the first time in seven years, the UMR also reveals music has been knocked off its perch as the
number one defining pillar. Young adults are now looking to their friends to validate who they are, what
they consume and what’s important in life, reflecting the monumental power of peer networks.
Four million Australians make up the 16-30 year old youth market,
which has a combined spending
power of $68.56 billion. Other interesting stats and facts to emerge from UMR 10-11:
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Spending power:
The biggest weekly outlay is on household expenses ($403.86), following by
socialising and entertainment ($122.42) and clothing and accessories ($99.71).
-
Armchair sports:
For young men, in participation, sport seems to be more about the armchair
than getting active – fantasy competitions are on the rise and allow young people to take part
and enjoy the social aspects of the game, without working up a sweat.
-
Home sweet home: Thanks to the First Home Owner’s grant the number of young people with
mortgages has increased from 11.5% last year to 14% this year. There’s still no rush to move
out of home though, with 47% of 16 to 30 year olds living with their parents (down slightly from
50.2%), 24% renting and 15% living in a share house.
-
What they can’t live without: An internet connection and mobile phone were rated the two top
things UMR respondents couldn’t live without (30% and 20% respectively) over their car, TV,
alcohol, favourite piece of clothing, drugs and favourite movies. Being connected is important.
-
Resurgence of the geek: Being a ‘geek’ is cool. Bloggers and tweeters have emerged as strong
influencers with the authority and credibility money just can’t buy. Shows like Glee
made the
Top 20 lists in this year’s UMR.
-
Make me beautiful: Despite a focus on ‘keeping it real’ this year, a significant 64% of young
adults said they would consider some kind of cosmetic treatment over the next 5 years.
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Do you love me? Respondents were fairly evenly split on whether sex should mean ‘being in
love.’ Only a small minority felt sex was ‘expected’ on the first date. For those that are having
sex (three quarters of respondents), they can be a little blasé about sexual health with only 45%
having had an STD test.
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The rise of the cull: A focus on quality vs. quantity has seen a ‘rise of the cull’ on Facebook – for
young adults, it used to be about having the most friends, now it’s about having the best
friends.
47% of people spent five hours or more on Facebook each week, with Facebook the
number one web site followed by Google.
-
Keeping it low key: Looking at major event attendance in the last year, more young adults went
to an art gallery or to the theatre than a rave/dance party.
If you’re interested in knowing more about UMR 10-11 please visit
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Media enquiries:
Caroline Siler
Gillian Yeap
Natalie Arnull
Keep Left PR
Keep Left PR
Keep Left PR
03 9510 3910/0402 046 826
03 9510 3910/0422 422 969
03 9510 3910/0421 153 519
caroline@keepleftpr.com.au
gillian@keepleftpr.com.au
natalie@keepleftpr.com.au
About Lifelounge UMR 10-11 in conjunction with Sweeney Research
Lifelounge’s Urban Market Research (UMR) in conjunction with Sweeney Research is the country’s most
definitive guide into 16 to 30 year old Australians. An annual research project that encapsulate the
values, behaviours and attitudes of the young adult market segment, the UMR focuses on the core
interest areas of music, sport, fashion, entertainment and travel and further evaluates how
communication, finance, sex, health and society influence behaviour.
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Now entering into its seventh year, and in partnership with full service research agency Sweeney
Research, the UMR is Australia’s leading annual youth research report. Housed online, the UMR allows
subscribers to search the latest trends in the 16-30 year old market.
NEWS 
