81% of Teens are Happy.

OTX released new results from its Teen Topix study. The study is done in conjunction with trend experts, the Intelligence Group and taps into the complex lives of the 13-17 year old set. 750 teens across the country were surveyed on the topic of self image.

One of the key findings of the study was that a vast majority of today’s teens consider themselves to be happy. 81% of teens said they were at least somewhat happy and over a third (36%) say they are very happy.

Teens are happiest with their relationships with friends, their talents, their abilities, and their school performance. While a large number are also happy with their looks, it falls lower on the list; and teens are happier with how they look online (e.g. their MySpace profile).

However, teens are very aware of their physical appearance and the importance it plays in their lives. 61% of teens said they worry about their looks, and 48% said they compare the way they look with friends and peers. They were also asked about the importance of looks and physical appearance when it comes to certain aspects of their lives. 50% of teens said looks and physical appearance were very important when it comes to ‘being respected by others’, but only 33% said it was important for ‘being liked by others’, and ‘getting ahead in the workplace’ (30%) and ‘making lots of money’ (27%) were lower on what is important to them.

Possibly as a result of the perceived importance of looks, teens are spending money to look and feel better. The survey found that teens spend an average of $27 per month on health and beauty products. Deodorants were the most commonly used products used on a daily basis (84%) with whitening toothpastes (55%), lip balms (54%) perfumes (52%), and facial scrubs (44%) also making the top of the list.

“Teens are an important consumer group, and we shouldn’t forget that,” said Bruce Friend, President, Media and Entertainment Insights, OTX. “We have to look not just at what they buy, but at what motivates them, their aspirations, what makes them tick. We are pleased to have the Intelligence Group join us in the Teen Topix project to add this much needed context.”

When it comes to influence, teens cited a number of positive influences on self image. Asked “when it comes to those things that influence how you feel about yourself would you say these usually make you feel better about yourself, worse about yourself or make no difference how you feel about yourself.” Girlfriends/boyfriends, religion, parents, teachers, and TV shows all ranked high among positive influences.

Teens were also asked to choose from a pair of related, yet conflicting statements. When asked if they would rather ‘get a college degree’ or ‘win American Idol’, 90% selected ‘college degree.’ When asked if they would like to ‘have a lot of friends’ or ‘have a lot of money,’ 76% chose ‘friends,’ ‘feel good’ (69%) beat ‘look good’ (31%), and ‘great personality’ (68%) bested ‘told you are hot’ (32%).

“What is emerging through the Teen Topix studies is a fresh look at teens today,” said Jane Buckingham, President, of the Intelligence Group.

“The answers to our questions have surprised many in the marketing community and have caused them to rethink how they need to appeal to this demographic.”

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