ME exec editor Tim Green isn't the least bit surprised at what the Morgan Stanley intern said...
Just once, when I'm asking some content company about their target audience, I'd like them not to say "16 to 24 year olds, skewing male."
Honestly, if they were to say "we're really looking to hit grouchy middle aged people who love sitting down with a cup of tea," I think I'd bend down and kiss their feet - if my aching knees would permit it.
Why the eternal obsession with youth? I have three kids, including one 16 year old, and I'm almost certain that their disposable income is less than mine, even though babysitting rates have skyrocketed recently. Not only do they have less money, but they are also reluctant to spend what they do have on anything other than clothes and afternoons at the Crouch End lido.
When it comes to digital services, teens will do whatever they can to avoid paying - whether it's file sharing, bit torrrent or swapping SIMs at designated times to take advantage of operator discounts.
It's so obvious. Makes you wonder why there's been so much fuss this week about the essay written by a 15 year old Morgan Stanley intern.
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Shockers contained in this report included the fact that most teens file-share music, hardly any buy newspapers or watch TV, and they really like making free 'phone calls' on Xbox Live.
Someone help me up here, I've swooned. The snippet that got most column inches was the revelation that teens are not bothered about Twitter. Apparently it's not worth the effort for the attention they get.
Well, I could have told them that. But why is this so bad? So what if teens ignore Twitter - they'd probably only use it to discuss the best ways not to pay for stuff anyway.
Now, I realise that young people are trend setters, and marketing types know that if they can get kids to steal Little Boots' new album, then just maybe paranoid 35 year olds who wish they were still 17 will go out and pay real money for it.
But can't we all just grow up a bit? I really need a new garden hose, and I'm a regular mobile internet user, but I've yet to see one advertised on any WAP site I've been to. And that's hose, not 'ho' in the plural, by the way.
Maybe the new app stores will help us all see sense. The fact that they (mostly) require a credit card, PayPal or similar might just focus marketers' attention on people who actually have some money and are prepared to spend it.
And, while we're at it, let's see some mobile advertising for proper grown up things too.
Like toupes and botox.
