A new study of web users by Knowledge Networks/SRI has dubbed those who stream audio or video more than an hour a day “streamies.” Not surprisingly, the heaviest web users are teens. Here’s the breakdown:
Streamie Men:
– 43% of those aged 12-17
– 36% of those aged 18-34
– 21% of those aged 35-64
Streamie Women:
– 40% of those aged 12-17
– 16% of those aged 18-34
– 11% of those aged 35-64
These streamies are a golden demographic for online marketers, as they are obviously the ones actually using the web to get entertainment and information. These teens are part of the Global Youth Tribe–the early adopters and the most sophisticated demo in the digital space. They don’t care what size screen they watch things on–be it computer or handset–they just want their media, like, yesterday.
It’s also interesting to note that cumulatively, streamies spend up to 67% more time online than their counterparts, but that the gap widens with age:
– Teen streamies spend 28% more time
– Young adult streamies spend 41% more time
– Older adult streamies spend 67% more time
Among 35-64 year-olds, there is a sharp division between adopters and ludites. They either “get it” or they don’t–and don’t really care to. Among 12-17 year-olds, however, the web is an essential means of communication, hence the smaller gap (read: less non-users). Not “speaking the language” can be social suicide. This is not a bad thing: they are collectively preserving the culture online, streaming (and blogging, posting, tagging…) it in real time.
In the not-so-distant future, everyone will be a streamie. Set-top box technology (such as Apple TV, Tivo, and Fios to name a few) will be refined to enable seamless transfer of data (e.g. tv shows, movies, music, web videos) between all three screens. We may very well be streaming everything we watch or listen to.
Until then, can we come up with a better word than “streamie”? Consider this an open call for nominations…
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