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A London teenager's report into his friends' media habits has caused a sensation among some of the world's most powerful internet bosses.
Matthew Robson, 15, who is doing work experience at Morgan Stanley, was asked by the bank's European media analysts to write a research note into the media consumption of his peers.
When he revealed that teenagers don't use Twitter, have little time for TV and find advertising “annoying”, his report was described by Morgan Stanley as “one of the clearest and most thought-provoking insights”.
This led the City bank to publish Matthew's findings — and it became the talk of the Allen & Co conference in Sun Valley, Idaho. The annual event — held behind closed doors — features some of the most influential figures in new media, including Google's Eric Schmidt and Larry Page, Twitter boss Evan Williams, Facebook's Mark Zuckerburg, and media moguls Barry Diller and Rupert Murdoch.
Matthew's research note said: “Teenagers do not use Twitter. Updating the micro-blogging service from mobile phones costs valuable credit” and “they realise that no one is viewing their profile, so their tweets are pointless”.
He said his peers find it hard to make time for television, instead watching online, and would rather listen to advert-free music on websites such as Last.fm than tune into traditional radio. “Even online, teens find advertising extremely annoying and pointless,” Matthew added. “Their time and money is spent instead on cinema, concerts and video game consoles which now double as a more attractive vehicle for chatting with friends than the phone.”
Edward Hill-Wood, head of Morgan Stanley's European media analysts, revealed that Matthew's report generated six times more feedback than the team's normal reports.
He said: “It was one of the clearest and most thought-provoking insights we have seen. So we published it.
“We've had dozens and dozens of fund managers, and several CEOs, e-mailing and calling all day.”
Matthew also said in his report that none of his friends regularly reads a newspaper as most could not “be bothered to read pages and pages of text”, rather than seeing summaries online or on TV.
The teenager's verdict that tomorrow's consumer may be using more media but is increasingly unwilling to pay for it has been seen as confirming doubts raised this weekend by some of the executives at the conference.
Many are speculating whether popular but expensive-to-run sites such as Twitter and YouTube could ever be profitable.
There had been speculation that the event could spark a deal to buy the micro-blogging site Twitter, but those attending said the economic slump had deterred possible buyers.
Click here to read the full report (pdf)
Reader views (29)
My sister took a 2 hour course for Twitter this morning, I am sure she will join up, she's on everything else.
She is 63.
I would love to tell her that Twitter is for Twits but she would probably disinherit me.
- Claire Elizabeth, London
This would never have happened under the Tories.
- Cyberman, London
He said: “It was one of the clearest and most thought-provoking insights we have seen. So we published it...'
Also one of the cheapest: asking the troops if their boots fit is always a good idea.
- Mdj E10, london uk
With youngsters not willing to pay for media the BBC should be looking hard at their Jolly Boat existence on our money.
- Albert Hall, hove england
I have about 10 nieces/nephews, all under 25, a couple under 18. None of this "gen whatever" crowd uses the twitter thing, only a few spend much time texting each other. High prices at the movies for tickets and snacks pushed them away from the theater for all but the biggest movies, and television? They watch very little television, but will rent DVDs of various shows or use iTunes. None of them spends any significant time on the internet actually. Most have some sort of facebook acct, several called it a fad and haven't been to their pages in sometime. Overall for a so called connected generation they spend very little time online.
The parents of these kids? Talk endlessly about twitter, youtube, the current email chain letter health warnings, Blackberrys and iPhones and seem to spend a lot of time trying to 'hip' and 'geeky'
- Trunk, US
Never mind Twitter and Face book , I'm still trying to figure out what Blue-Ray is, or does.
- Jon Vickers, S.C.USA
Ha ha! A teenager stating the obvious and Morgan Stanley wet themselves with excitment and publish the note - what the hell are their analysts and researchers who get paid mega bucks doing if a 15 year olds views are considered ground breaking? Good on Matthew though, if I was you I'd ask for a hefty thank you bonus for that!
- Nat, London
Don't staff at Morgan Stanley have children? Or perhaps they never speak to them? Anyone with teenagers in the house knows everything in this document.
Nicely written though, bet he's not at a state school is he?
- Amanda, London UK
Wow, I am so street INRI! I don’t twitter, read papers or watch much tele. Sadly, no one views my opinion as providing “thought-provoking insights”. Must give Last.fm a try though.
- Prototypical Englishman, Wormwood Scrubs
Internet bosses are shocked that teens don't use Twitter? Quelle surprise! The only reason Twitter's getting the publicity and audience it has is because its audience is primarily hacks
- Tim, London
Is this to do with giving Matthew Robson, 15, who is doing work experience at Morgan Stanley a reason for Being. When over a Million unemployed are seeking anything that would lead to gainfull employment, but are not deemed newsworthy, or related.
- William, Hay~Heath UK
He couldn't be more spot on! Content and how its experienced is king. (video games, concerts, cinema etc). His generation's thinking and habits is a fundamental to how these internet sites will evolve and stay alive. Content and the creation of content will always be more important than how a new communications platforms attempts to recycle it to a "new experience".
- Alastair, United Kingdom
Thank goodness it isn't just teenagers who use computers and are the total make-up of the consumer market!
It should be remembered that "our education system" is such that many 15 year olds have problems reading anyway!
Clearly, with an eye to the future this report does bear some relevance but it certainly isn't the be all and end all.
- Fraser, Telford Park
DAB will "catch on" because it will be compulsory after the FM service is ended.
Blu-ray will "catch on" because of its adoption by the two types of customers who have always been leaders in the electronics development industry; Games and porn. Besides, I have never yet heard of anyone using high-def or blu-ray declaring they want to go back to their old version.
- Kate, London
I'm glad to hear that someone's finally paying attention to teenagers, even though I'm slowly sliding out of that age group myself.
This is a pretty accurate report, none of my friends Twitter either. I have an account, but mostly just to see what famous people are up to.
I would have thought that everyone found adverts irritating.. Unless they're genuinely clever/funny.
I'm surprised that this is on the most read list though, it's not at all shocking.
- Katrina, Coventry
That report is a complete no brainer... You don't need to be a research analyst to be able to draw those conclusions... You'd also think they would get someone to proof read before publishing, doesn't set a very good impression for an invesment bank
- Adam, London, UK
Morgan Stanley doesn't even see the irony that the advice their clients pay them millions for could have been obtained cheaply from a schoolboy?
- Roz, France
I find this heartening news But media execs will not like it Think of Radio One...a waste of time And I have never joined facebook or any other site I refuse to Shows that teenagers have better things to do and refuse to be put in a box by the ad guys
- Sheila, london uk
I cannot see the point in Twitter unless of course you are a voyeur.
- Adam, Harrow, UK
Why does it take a 15 year old to make CEOs sit up and listen? And Squiz, we all have DAB here as, eventually, the analogue radio signal will be switched off.....sort of makes sense!
- Rod, Epping, UK
Fascinating! 15 year olds don't read newspapers. Why should the rest of us give a damn what 15 year olds think?
- Robert, London UK
Interesting analysis by a teen. I am surprised, though, that Morgan Stanley didn't proofread the report before printing it. "Release" instead of "Realize (USA) / Realise (UK)?
- Judy, nyc, usa
Blu-ray certainly won't catch-on before the next generation format comes out, which I would anticipate to be hardware-free. As for the comment regarding the lacking importance of what a 15 year old cares about being irrelevant as that'll change over time... Have you ever tried to market a product at the teenage age group?
Very few teenagers twitter, but interact on facebook daily.
Teenagers don't like to be targeted by businesses, as they feel grouped and less individual. They like to find these things for themselves.
- Jack, Canary Wharf
Squiz, Blu-Ray is already catching on with PS3 users.
- David, London
Wow pretty good going for a work experience student!
I agree that twitter seems pointless and all these 'social networking tools' eventually get diluted and used for advertising its a sad fact of life.
- David M, Londinium Town
So, there is still some hope left for our youth!
- Kevin Sullivan, Roehampton, London.
Twitter is one of the most irritating things ever invented. Well named as the voice of twits. Any celebrity or politician who self-importantly records the banality of their day instantly loses all credibility.Sarah Brown's PR idea that her Twitter tips on gardening make her husband seem more electable? I don't think so.
- Jay, London, UK.
Does this mean anything though???
As you get older, your income increases, your buying habits/behaviour changes as well.
Thus, what 15 year old are thinking now will mean didly squat in 6 years time. People are becoming more flippant, that's the true trend.
Also, the comment about Blu Ray will never catch on, wrong IMHO. Consumer electronics companies and film studios will phase out DVD, it won't be a choice then, will it?
- Decency, London, UK
Wooo what a shock. Here's two more pieces of info the CEOs might enjoy - we don't want DAB and Blu-Ray will never catch on.
- Squiz, Islington
