Argentina. Nickelodeon Latin America concluded its third and last meeting of its first Research Days where the results of the study "Hyper and multiconnected" were presented. During May 2015 in the offices of Viacom Argentina, the children's signal presented the conclusions obtained from five investigations carried out in children between 9 and 13 years old, a segment called Tween.
The choice of the study segment corresponds to the marked opinions that children have about other generations, and that is fully immersed in new technologies and in the forms of consumption that they bring with them.
From the results of the study entitled "Hyper and multiconnected" it is highlighted that this segment of children are digital natives, so the different online platforms are the main tools they use to connect with the world. Some conclusions that emerge from this research are:
GENERATION Z. Tweens are digital natives, within a cutting-edge generation. Having been born with technology, they have greater knowledge of it and ability to adapt and learn. They have greater motivations to learn since everything is accessible through the internet: 6 out of 10 tweens google something at least every day and 3 out of 10 do it between 4 and 6 times a week.
MULTICONNECTED 24/7. They connect every day, spend between 2 and 5 hours in front of screens: the older you get, the greater the amount of exposure. Online and console games are one of its biggest entertainments. The smartphone, computer and tablet are the main tools to connect with the world.
MULTIEXPOSURE. Through social networks and their publications they seek to be popular, please others, share good times, be seen and involve the rest of their activities. It is also a way to get closer to those who are far away. Tweens want others to learn from them and see what they're doing: 5 out of 4 kids post for their friends to see what they do. Getting "likes" is the main motivation to publish what they are doing, they need to have the validation of the other, the more "likes" they get, the happier they are.
SMARTPHONES. 7 out of 10 prefer chat to communicate with distant friends and family. Only 1 in 10 tweens use emails. They consider that the appropriate age to have their own cell phone is 8/9 years. Between the ages of 11 and 12 everyone has their first cell phone. It is an indispensable object in their lives, which they cannot forget. They turn it off only during meals at night, when they share family time; at school and during public transport.
WHATSAPP: It is perceived as a social network, rather than a mobile application. It is highly valued since it does not require having a profile. It is immediate and more private, therefore more secure. They use it to communicate with their parents and/or friends. They organize the agenda, programs and tasks of the school.
FACEBOOK: it is the social network that 8 out of 10 children use, they choose it because they have everything in one place. As for the frequency of use, 6 out of 10 tweens access every day and 4 out of 10 post at least four times a week, avoid posting unpleasant or offensive things. The number of friends on facebook is around 300 contacts and they do not accept strangers. The vast majority access, either through their own profile or using that of their parents, believe that 10 years is an appropriate age to have their own profile.
PRIVACY ON FACEBOOK. The youngest consult their parents before publishing, they also consider that they do not publish anything that they have to worry about / protect. The parents control and have the access codes.
INSTRAGRAM. Faced with the appearance of parents on Facebook, the Tweens "move" to the exclusivity of other networks such as Instagram and Snapchat. Instagram fills the need to be displayed through photos edited with filters. Despite being for people over 13 years old, this restriction is easily circumvented by children. This is the new social network that is imposing on the segment, placing itself within its favorites.
SNAPCHAT. This mobile app is penetrating strongly into the segment. It allows you to send a photo and a short text to a contact and once read it is destroyed leaving no traces of the photo or the text.
YOUTUBE. They prefer to look rather than read, so they use YouTube as a new source of information to do homework. On this network they are also looking for funny songs, movies and videos. 80% use the network and 20% declare that it is the network they use the most.
FOLLOWERS. They follow on social networks those they admire, are fans or consider important. They are interested in learning about private activities and news about their latest work.
PARENTAL ROLE. Children try to solve everything by their own means, although they learn a lot from their parents about the use of programs, safe browsing, search for information and restrictions on social networks. Also, the Tweens help their parents in the management of applications especially on cell phones and tablets; and the use of social networks. Parents limit both the number of hours they can play, browse and use their cell phone and access to social networks. They have access to keys, control and monitor contacts; and they are even contact in the networks.
PRIVACY. Tweens are not afraid of losing intimacy. They know they must be careful and try to preserve what happens "within the family." Children feel cared for, although they are often upset by the restrictions that parents impose. For them, the content they post does not involve risks. They don't post anything they don't want to be known. Your contacts are friends and acquaintances, so there is low risk. Parents supervise a lot of what they post and the contacts they have.
SAMPLING: The results of the investigations were carried out from Conicktados to 60 children between 9 and 13 years of age from Argentina, Mexico and Colombia. The meetings to present partial results are held weekly during May, presenting on each date the results to different topics about the consumption habits, preferences and interests of these children.
