Gosh, these data bring things into sharp focus! We all know that our information discovery and consumption habits are going through some pretty seismic changes, but new data from the Pew Research Center in the US show how rapidly this change has come about.
In 2010, the Internet surpassed TV as the main source of news information for 18-29 year olds in the US, while 48% of 30-49 year olds also cited the Internet as one of their two main news sources. The use of newspapers remains in decline across most age categories, while radio seems to be holding its own, albeit at a low point of between 13-19%.
[click graphs to enlarge]
There’s a whole generation of consumers who have recently or are about to enter the workforce whose news consumption behaviours differ wildly to every generation that has gone before. Over the coming years, as these consumers grow older and become the group with the highest disposable income, the way news and information are discovered and shared will undergo further transformations. The challenge for marketers and anyone in the content creation business is huge. These data provide us with a compelling and undeniable truth: the future’s digital.