College Students Surf Back to Campus on a Wave of Digital Connections; Study Shows ``Moblearning''; Students Are Wired from Dor
06 Settembre 2006 - 2:45PM
Business Wire
Earbuds, laptops, and cell phones are among the constants in the
complex portrait of today's returning college class, heading back
to campus with a record number of gadgets enabling perpetual mobile
connectivity. These essential tools tether students to a
sophisticated, wired campus, where connectedness extends from the
dorm room to the classroom; and friends, professors, and troves of
digital music are rarely out of touch. Data released today from the
2006 Alloy College Explorer Study, powered by Harris Interactive,
paints a definitive picture of modern college students tuned-in to
digital communications throughout their day, and of a sophisticated
college campus that has evolved to meet their needs for mobility
and pervasive access to the networked world. "Students have spoken
and their technology choices tell us that mobility is among their
highest priorities," commented Dana Markow, VP Youth and Education
Research, Harris Interactive. Adding, "The study reveals students
are spending a total of eleven hours of each day engaged with
media(1) and are constantly on the go. A majority of students have
a paid job in addition to being a student and traveling from class
to class, and most own a car -- so accessing media "en route" or
away from home is critical for them. One aspect of what the study
shows is a very significant change in the way college students
navigate their daily lives." Goin' Mobile This generation gives new
meaning to "take it with you". Among the most telling statistics is
the diminished role of desktop computers, down 13% this year while
50% of students will head back to class this year with a laptop.
The 8% gain over the previous year is evidence of students'
preference for mobility and the use of those wifi hotspots on
campus to enjoy the nearly 3.5 hours of email, instant messaging,
and web surfing they put in daily. Gains in cell phone ownership
reveal a record number of students communicating through their
mobile devices. An additional 1.3 million students now have cell
phones(2) and are spending almost 20 minutes each day sending and
receiving text messages. The study also quantifies music mobility's
huge role in college life. Of the 41% of students who own an MP3
player, 85% are "plugged in" to their portable MP3's daily. Mobile
Social Lives The role of "friends" has evolved within the online
world, empowered by the widespread adoption of social networking
sites among students. Fully 85% of students who visit social
networking sites use them to see what their friends are up to and
70% participate in SN-based message boards to communicate with
friends. On average, 18-24 year old students are hanging out on
these sites for 6.5 hours a week. Students claim to have an average
of 111 friends across many profiles online, changing the definition
of today's peer group and the way in which students connect with
each other. And 61% of students on social networking sites say they
are interacting with people they've never met in person. "College
students look to their friends above any other influence for
guidance and approval. The increase in 'friend' access and the
evolving definition of 'friend' affords peer networks greater
import than ever," commented Samantha Skey, SVP, Strategic
Marketing, Alloy Media + Marketing. The Modern Digital Campus
Seemingly overnight, campuses nationwide have ramped up to meet
student demand for mobility and networked interaction. Twenty nine
percent (29%) of all schools provide blanket coverage, with 64%
reporting such plans in the works(3). The evolution goes beyond
hardware. Digital upgrades have changed the way students interact
with their class work and communicate with professors. Rare are the
scenes of students crowding around a grade sheet posted outside the
classroom, because 72% now receive grades, as well as assignments,
via the Web. Remember having to show up at your prof's office to
turn in a paper? Not anymore, 71% of students use email. Even the
institution of "office hours" has evolved, as 56% of students opt
to email or even instant message their professors for help. The
classroom lecture has gone digital as well, with a growing number
of students utilizing their portable MP3 players to catch up by
podcast. College Segment Phatter Than Ever The college market (ages
18-30) continues to expand. Population is up 6%, marking the
largest college class in history with over 17.4 million students
headed to campus this year. Those students will bring an additional
$8B back to school, establishing the segment's record total
spending power at $182B. Discretionary spending is up 12% this
year, rising to $46B. "While we've known that college students are
aggressive adopters of digital communications and gadgets, this
data sheds light on precisely how much time they spend online, and
how they spend that time," said Skey. "The emerging picture tells
us just how tuned-in students are, and where and when they're
connected to data, friends, and media. This type of insight has
critical implications for marketers." Adding, "Traditional media
platforms are less and less relevant to a consumer who's tuned-in
nearly every free moment of their day. Gaining their attention and
ultimately their loyalty, requires marketers to think about all the
spaces that are relevant to the daily campus experience, and
connect with them in meaningful ways both online and off for the
most impact." Methodology This survey was conducted online by
Harris Interactive on behalf of Alloy Media + Marketing among 1,793
adults (college students (full-time, part-time, 4-yr., 2-yr., aged
18 to 30) within the United States between April 14 and May 2,
2006. Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, region and school
status (full-time, part-time, 4-yr., 2-yr.) were weighted where
necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in
the population. With a pure probability sample of 1,793 adults one
could say with a ninety-five percent probability that the overall
results have a sampling error of +/- 3 percentage points. However
that does not take other sources of error into account. This online
survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no
theoretical sampling error can be calculated. About Alloy Media +
Marketing Alloy Media + Marketing is one of the country's largest
providers of nontraditional targeted media and promotional
marketing programs connecting with 85% of the millennial audience
(ages 5 - 29) daily. With large-scale networks, unique and
exclusive media and promotional partnerships, and offices located
in major markets across the country, Alloy Media + Marketing
services over 1500 companies including half of the Fortune 200.
Alloy Media + Marketing ranks fifth on the Advertising Age list of
Top 100 Marketing Services Agencies and ranks among the World's Top
25 Ad Organizations. Alloy Media + Marketing is part of Alloy, Inc.
(Nasdaq: ALOY). For further information regarding Alloy Media +
Marketing, please visit our web site at www.alloymarketing.com.
About Harris Interactive Harris Interactive is the 12th largest and
fastest-growing market research firm in the world. The company
provides research-driven insights and strategic advice to help its
clients make more confident decisions which lead to measurable and
enduring improvements in performance. Harris Interactive is widely
known for The Harris Poll, one of the longest running, independent
opinion polls and for pioneering online market research methods.
The company has built what could conceivably be the world's largest
panel of survey respondents, the Harris Poll Online. Harris
Interactive serves clients worldwide through its United States,
Europe and Asia offices, its wholly-owned subsidiary Novatris in
France and through a global network of independent market research
firms. The service bureau, HISB, provides its market research
industry clients with mixed-mode data collection, panel development
services as well as syndicated and tracking research consultation.
More information about Harris Interactive may be obtained at
www.harrisinteractive.com. To become a member of the Harris Poll
Online, visit http://go.hpolsurveys.com/PR. (1) This figure
represents a sum across media choices and does not account for time
spent interacting with two or more media at the same time (2)
Calculation based on survey findings among 18-30 year old students
projected to the universe of 12.9 million 18-30 year old college
students as determined by the National Center for Education
Statistics (2005) (3) The Campus Computing Project, The 2005
National Survey of Information Technology in US Higher Education
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