Everything is Generational ...

Younger 'Digital Moms' are Old Hands at New Online Technologies, Says Study

By Fred Aun , February 3, 2009

A
new study shows that social networks and other Web 2.0 services are the
go-to forms of digital communication, interaction and research for
young mothers. It also shows that Internet-savvy moms with children 12
and older take a keen interest in social networks largely so they can
monitor their kids online activities.

The two-part "Digital Mom" report, co-written by Razorfish and CafeMom,
an online community for mothers, purports to give marketers insights
into the most effective ways to engage Web- and mobile-adept mothers.
The first section of the report is based on surveys of 1,500 women with
at least one child in their homes, who tried at least two "emerging
technologies" and who researched or bought something online in the past
90 days. The second part focused on 1,740 active CafeMom members and
included the site's behavioral and usage data.

The study says women with children place high value on social media,
mobile and other digital technologies "as a convenient means to stay
connected, seek advice and information, shop and learn about products,
meet others like themselves and simplify the many dimensions of their
lives." The researchers found that 47 percent of the moms with children
12 and older use social networks to monitor their children.

These mothers are much more likely to watch online video than mothers
with kids under 12, says the study. It also says the age of the mothers
plays a big part in the moms' level of comfort with "newer
communication platforms," including social networks, SMS and mobile
browsing, with those under 35 being significantly more likely to use
the latest technologies. Older mothers, those 45 and beyond, more often
use the Web to access informational tools and sites, such as news sites
and online consumer reviews, says the report.

"Social media and text messaging, instant messaging and gaming, now
used by the majority of digital moms, are no longer niche activities,"
says the report. "It will be necessary for marketers to embrace
channels that engage more than 50 percent of all digital moms,
particularly as mass marketing channels shrink."

For advertisers, the report says the gap between television and digital
channels is narrowing when it comes to creating brand awareness and
affecting product decisions. "Social networks are increasingly
important" along those lines, says the report.