Characterisitics of Generation Y, the Digital Natives

By age 20, kids will have spent 20,000 hours online –the same amount of time a professional piano player would have spent practicing –Dr. Urs Gasser

In a recent post on his blog, Jeremiah Owyang draws some key characteristics of the Digital Natives or generation Y. This generation is the one that has had access to digital technologies since an early age and uses digital technology intuitively. This generation is also the main target group for every Action Sports brand.

Understanding the behavior, the needs and the expectations of the Gen Y is fundamental.
Group Y for example is an organization that brings together Action Sports brands and youth marketing experts to discuss, understand and prepare for these important shifts.

• Always online: By age 20, kids will have spent 20,000 hours online
• They interact with the peers across the globe: This impacts employers, brands, teachers, parents, as this first generation enters the workforce.
• Multiple identities, personal and social, shared online and offline (blurring): Online representation is the same as physical representation: what your clothes, friends, vehicles say about you.
• Extensive disclosure of personal data: 35% of girls in US are writing a blog vs 20% boys.
• Culture of sharing: The default behavior is information sharing, not only do they have the right to speak, but to be heard. Risk: breach of confidentiality is hip, digital natives are fans of wikileaks.
• Creators, no longer passive users: This generation creates their own content and shares their opinion online
• Information processing habits: Pointed out that the second most popular social network was YouTube. They often ‘graze’ the headlines and don’t often read the full article. Opportunities: companies should allow natives to increase creativity to rip, mix, burn content to encourage interaction.
• Peer collaboration, online activism: They often experience work with community builders, and are responsive to intrinsic motizations.
• Learning through browsing: Yes wrestles with amount & quality of information, generational “multitakers”. They may not be able to identify qualified and expert sources. “If it’s online, it must be true!”

Action Sports brands need to anticipate these changes and adapt right now their marketing strategies, communication/conversation strategies, online presence to make sure they will have the right tools and approach to connect with the Gen Y.
These are fields where our passion and understanding of Action Sports lifestyle combined with our strategic, creative Social Media skills, can help your brand get on the right tracks.