TV Watching Losing Appeal Among Tweens & Young Teens.

As they get older, American tweens and young teens—the 8-14 year old crowd—become increasingly disinterested in watching television, and more and more distracted when they do watch it, according to The U.S. Market for Tweens and Young Teens, a new report from publisher Packaged Facts, a division of MarketResearch.com.

The TV still reigns supreme—almost 80% of the younger tweens say that they “love” watching television, according to research conducted by Simmons Market Research Bureau. However, this drops to 60% when kids reach their early teen years. And, many tweens and young teens often do something else while the tube is on, such as read, listen to music or use a computer.

Moreover, consumers in this age group are relatively realistic and sophisticated in their perceptions of the place of television in their lives. Few think that television is more exciting than real life, and a significant minority believes that “watching too much TV is bad for you.”

The latest Census Bureau report shows that there are 29.3 million young Americans in the 8- to 14-year-old age group. This includes 16.4 million 8- to 11-year-olds and 12.8 million 12- to 14-year-olds. Packaged Facts projects that these consumers command a purchasing power of $40 billion.

“Tweens and young teens are mastering the adult art of multi-tasking,” says Don Montuori, acquisitions editor of Packaged Facts. “The Internet, in particular, offers a compelling alternative to TV programming, and this is a significant development for marketers in their efforts to target these consumers.”

For more information at http://www.packagedfacts.com