Where Have All The Students Gone

Several research studies over the last few years have highlighted the decline in traditional media (newspaper, TV, radio and magazine) usage among high school and college age students. A new Pew Internet report (among others) gives an insightful look into where the students have gone: The Web. As the report states, “Internet users ages 12 to 28 years old have embraced the online applications that enable communicative, creative, and social uses.”

College students, in addition to relying on the Web for instant messaging (IM), email, to buy things, keep track of their checking account, plan travel and help with their school-related work, are also becoming voracious consumers of online social networks. MySpace, a social networking site that is strongest in the 12-17 age group went from 2.8 million unique visitors in 2004 to over 24 million unique visitors in 2005 (story here). That is a growth of 752 percent.

Facebook, which is most popular with college students, grew 530 percent last year. At MySpace, Facebook, and many other popular social networking sites, the users generate the content.

According to the Boston Globe, over 80 percent of college students in the U.S. have a Facebook account. A great story on this trend can also be found at BusinessWeek Online.

College students, and many young adults, are facing time pressures to pack a lot of activity into a 24-hour day. Increasingly, they are stealing that time from traditional media usage and reallocating it to a wide range of Web-related activities for functional and social purposes.