New Paradigm Global Survey shows the global power of connected youth

    BOSTON, MA, July 11 /PRNewswire/ - A comprehensive survey in 12
countries of more than 7,600 young people between the ages of 16 - 29 shows
that 77% of today's online youth would sooner live without television than
live without the Internet. China has the most devoted young Internet users,
with 87% choosing the Internet compared to 13% favoring television. In the
United States the figures were 77% for the Internet and 23% for TV.
    The survey was conducted by New Paradigm, the Toronto-based think-tank
headed by business strategist and best-selling author Don Tapscott. The
survey is part of a $4 million study of today's digital-savvy youth -
dubbed the "Net Generation" by Tapscott - who have grown up "bathed in
bits."
    Other survey findings included:

    -  When asked to choose whether they want to be smarter or better
       looking, 69% of the world's N-Geners choose being smarter
    -  When evaluating a potential employer, 88% of N-Geners in China say a
       company's prestige is important. This figure drops to 83% in India,
       72% in Russia, and 51% in the US.
    -  56% of the world's online youth would prefer to make the world a
       better place than to improve their local community.
    -  73% of the N-Gen globally say that if a company makes untrue promises
       in its advertising, they will tell their friends not to buy its
       products.
    -  52% say that teens and young adults are portrayed too negatively in
       today's media.
    Commenting on why so many N-Geners choose the Internet over TV,
Tapscott said that television is unidirectional and passive, and doesn't
allow meaningful participation by the viewer. In contrast, the Internet
enables users to find and share information and take action.
    "Look at Live Earth concerts this past weekend," said Tapscott. "More
than 10,000 'Friends of Live Earth' events were pulled together in 130
countries. People around the world could go online for background
materials, event guidelines, suggestions for running a green event, advice
on how to receive a concert satellite feed, and updates when additional
materials such as short films became available. Television can't do these
sorts of things.
    "Rich multi-media sites such as LiveEarth.org and Al Gore's
AllianceForClimateProtection.org show how the Net Generation can employ
digital tools to make a difference. While high-profile media events like
the Live Earth concerts help raise awareness, the global warming battle
will be won in the trenches of the Internet."
    Further findings of the global survey were released today in Boston at
a conference about the Net Generation for New Paradigm's clients. Twenty of
the world's leading companies are sponsoring the N-Gen study, including
Nokia, MetLife, Fedex, Accenture, Cisco Systems, and MasterCard.
    About New Paradigm
    New Paradigm is a think tank headed by IT strategist, speaker, and
best-selling author Don Tapscott (Wikinomics, Growing Up Digital). Since
1993 New Paradigm has provided clients with insightful, thought-provoking
analysis of emerging technology trends and their impact on business, and
serves as a "strategic early warning system" for clients, helping them
distinguish real imperatives from all the hype and noise.
    About the New Paradigm Global Net Generation Survey
    This survey was conducted online between April 5 and May 3, 2007 among
7,692 respondents in 12 countries (U.S., Canada, U.K., Germany, France,
Spain, Mexico, Brazil, Russia, China, Japan, and India). Figures for age,
sex, race/ethnicity, and region were weighted where necessary to bring them
in line with their actual proportions in the population.
    All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability
sampling, are subject to multiple sources of error which are often not
possible to quantify or estimate. With a pure probability sample of 7,692
respondents one could say with 95% probability that overall results would
have a sampling error of +/- 1.1 percentage points. This online survey is
not based on a probability sample and therefore no theoretical sampling
error may be calculated.

Link to this page: