Youths aged 8 to 24 years rated the internet and mobile phones as an absolute neccessity, but TV is still the best entertainment source, according to a young Asians survey. The annual tracking survey conducted by Synovate revealed local youths are multi-taskers with media rich lifestyles, spending 12 hours a day on some form of media from watching TV, newspapers, radio to internet. Susanna Lam, associate director for Synovate in Hong Kong, said:

 "It's definitely the age of perpetual partial attention, meaning marketers have to work even harder to get the message through".

"The great news is that young people are using a wide variety of media and spending a good part of the day doing so," she added.

She pointed out the digitally-nimble generation places great stock in online time but they are just as committed to personal communication and relationships.

Lam said: "It's these contrasts that smart marketers need to understand before they can build and maintain a loyal consumer base in a notoriously trend-aware and media-savvy generation."

The survey also showed youths here have the highest mobile phone ownership at 83%, with 66% of them using mobile phones to listen to music and 35% to take videos.

Lam observed mobile is rapidly becoming a vital part of the media mix for brands seeking to interact with young consumers.

Synovate Young Asians is an annual survey that studies the media, purchasing and leisure habits of young people in Asia Pacific between 8 to 24 across eleven markets that include countries such as Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Malaysia and Australia.

(Marketiing magazine)