WESTWOOD, Calif. - Today’s generation of digitally focused, technology users is more "hooked in" to the Internet and digital media than any previous generation, causing people among this tech-savvy demographic to become very sophisticated more quickly as a result of exposure to adult-oriented content, news, violent games, and pornography.
That was the gist of Wednesday’s Millennials Conference, during which several panelists revealed the extent of their dependency on modern devices such as laptops, cell phones, PDAs, and iPods.
"We’re living in an age of unprecedented access," said Mike Greco, senior vice president of research and planning for MTV, during the day’s first panel, "Who Are the Millennials?"
"[People are] really engaged with what they’re doing on these websites," added Hitwise’s research director, LeeAnn Prescott, who cited the average user sessions of social-networking sites such as MySpace (more than 30 minutes), Friendster, and Facebook, as well as viral-content sites like YouTube (more than 20 minutes) as examples. "They feel like they’re part of a larger community."
Prescott also said that, despite the prevalence of peer-to-peer file-sharing sites like LimeWire, today’s generation does have "somewhat of a realistic attitude" regarding piracy. "There is an expectation that some things you can get for free, and some things you can’t get for free."
Held on the UCLA campus in Westwood, the one-day event (presented by Digital Media Wire) hosted several seminars that touched on issues pertinent to digital media users. Adult content generated brief discussion, but it became clear during the course of the event that both the mainstream and adult online communities face very similar issues.
During the "Who Are the Millennials?" seminar, panelists discussed what makes many of today’s successful sites so popular among users.
"It not just pushing brand or product—it’s about interaction," said Brian Marr, managing director for the Wexley School for Girls.
"It’s about the tools," added Richard Ellis, founder and president of teen marketing company 12 to 20. "They have all these tools that [other generations] never had."
The influence of this particular generation of computer users on marketing was also discussed, as was the potential found in social networks and user-generated content. Discussions about social-networking sites mirrored those held during seminars on similar topics at adult trade shows.
"We as an industry can take a lot of risks," said Jeffrey "JT" Thompson, director of corporate alliances for the Walt Disney Company, during the seminar on user-generated content. "We can research it and figure out how to monetize it."
MOG Chief Executive Officer David Hyman said that while user-generated content could not replace professionally made content, it could augment it nicely and could be used to provide important information on public and consumer interest. "It’s more about socialization," he explained.
One of the day’s last panels, "The Buying Power of Millennials: How They Are Influencing Buying Decisions in the Digital Age," proved to be the most interesting.
"Buying is a social activity," said Airborne Entertainment President and CEO Andy Nulman, who cited data that indicated 82 percent of millennials solicit opinions from their peers before making major purchases.
"The No. 1 thing they want to buy is communication," added IndieSpace Chief Technology Officer and Marketing Director Pete Markiewicz. "They’re paying to talk."
The Millennials themselves had a few interesting things to say during the "Meet the Millennials" panel. Perhaps the most interesting thing revealed was that a large number of today’s digital-media users feel "trapped" by or overly dependent upon media.
"I feel plugged in all day," said Fusic Media founder Tom Garrett. "And that’s not always a good thing."
