Ypulse Research Roundup: New Ypulse Monitor/Report, Meeting Of The Minds & More

Today we bring you another installment of the latest youth research available for sale or download. Remember if your company has comprehensive research for sale that focuses on youth between the ages of 8 and 24, email me to be included in the next Roundup.

“With Their Whole Lives Ahead of Them”
Public Agenda, in association with “Get Schooled,” the Viacom/MTV Networks initiative launched in September, releases the first of three reports describing young Americans’ views on higher education and college completion. Coming at a time when the United States has slipped to tenth place in international college completion rates, these reports explore the issue directly from the student point of view. Based on a national survey of young adults, ages 22 to 30, this research dispels some common myths about why so many students do not graduate and details what kinds of changes—by government, higher education, business and others—might make a difference.
Cost: Free

For more information: Download the PDF of the report here.

Fatal Distraction
One in four (26%) of American teens of driving age say they have texted while driving, and half (48%) of all teens ages 12 to 17 say they’ve been a passenger while a driver has texted behind the wheel. These findings form the centerpiece of a new report from the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project that looks at teens, mobile phones and distracted driving. Senior Research Specialist and co-author of the report Amanda Lenhart explains teens knowingly engage in the risky road behavior because “the desire to stay connected is so strong for teens and their parents that safety sometimes takes a backseat.” The message here for multi-tasking Moms and Dads? Practice what you preach.
Cost: Free

For more information: Go to the Pew Internet & American Life site

Growing Up Gamer
The latest research from The NPD Group on Kids and Gaming finds that gaming remains pervasive among American youth with 82 percent of US children as young as 2-years-old playing videogames. Boys and girls in the 12 to 14 age bracket log the most play time, according to NPD, at an average of 10.6 hours weekly. After that, however, time spent playing videogames drops off with 15 to 17 years-olds, especially girls who are less likely to indulge in gaming than boys as they get older.  The study explores how many hours are spent by age and by system, and outlines kids’ gaming “life cycle” - i.e., the graduation pattern from certain systems to others.
Cost: N/A

For more information: Download the PDF of the report here or contact Charlie Camaroto at contactnpd@npd.com

Mobile love at first iTouch
An iPhone Touch in tween hands might just be worth an iPhone in the bush. According to the 2009 Smartphone Industry Pulse report, Apple is successfully using the iPod Touch to build loyalty with pre-teens and teens, even before they have their own phones. When today’s young iPod Touch users age by five years, they will already have iTunes accounts, saved personal contacts to their iPod Touch devices, purchased hundreds of apps and songs, and mastered the iPhone OS user interface. This translates into loyalty and switching costs, allowing Apple to seamlessly “graduate” young users from the iPod Touch to the iPhone. Plus, as tech blog Ars Technica points out, the mobile training ground has a major strategic advantage as “Tweens and teens flock to the iPod touch since it can play games and access social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace, in addition to playing music and video.”
Cost: N/A

For more Information: Go to the Flurry Information Site

Great Intergenerational Minds Discuss Digital Life
The Meetings of the Mind report released by Common Sense Media and Harvard’s Goodplay Project offers some important perspectives on the generation difference between parents and educators and teens in thinking about digital ethics. For instance, teens often relate to ethically challenging situations online from a place of concern about repercussions for themselves, rather than from concern about the implications of their actions for larger communities. Adults, on the other hand, spoke more about responsibility to others and to communities when discussing digital dilemmas. Whereas a teen who makes a fake profile page about her teacher might think it’s funny, adults are more likely to urge consideration of how such an act might hurt or damage the teacher’s reputation. The report looks to serve as another call to action, for adults not to shy away from important conversations about ethics as a result of potential discomfort or fear around new technologies, and also to help guide the conversation.
Cost: N/A

For more information: Go to the Global Kids’ Digital Media Initiative site

November Ypulse Monitor: Music, Movies & Social Issues
In the November Ypulse Monitor we offer a quick snapshot of what’s driving youth with a closer look at music, that perennial passion of teens and collegians. What defines this generation musically? More than any one artist or genre, it’s the diversity in taste… and the technology they turn to for delivering the tunes. Shifting gears from entertainment, Ypulse also taps into the minds of more than 1,000 college students and 500 high school students to find out the social causes they identify with most… and how much of that talk leads to action.
Cost: $250 annual subscription.

For more information: go to the NEW Ypulse Research site.

November Ypulse Report: Music, Movies & Social Issues
The November Ypulse Report offers an in-depth look at music trends and movie consumption among teens and college students, as well as insight
towards the social causes that resonate most with this generation. Along with a detailed analysis of the genres and artists most popular today, we examine the role technology has played in developing a digital ecosystem and bridging the intergenerational. Additionally, the report explores the influence that social responsibility has over brand preferences, purchase decisions and personal action. We found in spite of both age groups holding strong convictions and high corporate standards, there was a considerable amount of inactivity among teens and college students. It begs the question of whether these demos need more outlets, more direction or both?
Cost: $2,000 for a single report.

For more information: go to the NEW

Ypulse Research site.