Study Shows Teens are the New Digital influencers, Driving Moms Online

February 02, 2010

Ruder Finn, one of the world’s largest, independent public relations agencies, announced results of a new study of mothers, which found that teenagers, as “digital mavens,” are strongly influencing their mothers to join online social networks.

In a study conducted by a Ruder Finn employee in pursuit of her Master’s degree, mothers were encouraged in part by their teenage children and these online social networks have established a new space for the two demographics to engage.

“Understanding why mothers engage in online social networks can help frame a more meaningful dialogue across the full spectrum of digital platforms,” said Michael Schubert, Chief Innovation Officer overseeing digital strategy at Ruder Finn.

Results from a nationally representative, Census-balanced survey of 473 mothers with teenage children living in the home found that:

•Mothers were driven by their children’s online behavior to join social networking sites

o 61% of mothers were influenced to join social networking sites right away – less than one month after an initial conversation with their teenager

o 73% are thankful that their child introduced them to social networking sites

o 71% of mothers want to make sure that content is not harmful to their teenagers

“Teenagers are often early adopters of new technology, with mothers following closely behind,” said Stephanie Waters, Senior Account Supervisor at Ruder Finn and Master’s recipient. “I sought to determine whether children exerted an influence over their mothers’ initial decisions to join a social network and how the two interact in the online space.”

The study, titled “Mothers & Original Motivations for Joining Online Social Networking Sites: Research Underscores Children’s Influence in Process” also showed that:

• Mothers and teens are also connected through online social networking sites and it is driving off-line conversation between the two

o 91% of mothers have had discussions with their children about online social networking sites and their child’s behavior online

o 57% of mothers are “friends” on the same social networking sites as their children

o 78% of mothers reported that their children did not resist their request to connect online

“Research on social networking site usage and implications on society are still very new with minimal available data,” said Marty McGough, Director of Ruder Finn Insights. “This niche study of mother’s intentions for joining online social networks adds to the current body and sets the stage for follow up research to more deeply understand its implications.”

About the Survey

The survey is based on a cross-sectional, nationally-representative and Census balanced sample of 473 women with Internet access who have teenage children, ages 13-18, living at home. The margin of error is +/- 5% at the 95th confidence interval level and standard deviation of 2.0 across all demographic measures. Results from the survey were cut to gauge any differences between women with older teenagers (16-18) versus those with younger teenagers (13-18). Following the survey, in-depth-interviews were conducted with mothers who fit the demographic profile to gather anecdotal insights.