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Teens Show Strong Optimism Regarding President Obama's Ability to Address the Economic Downturn

Posted on: Wednesday, 25 February 2009, 09:27 CST

Recent Teen Survey Reflects Impact of the Economy on Teens: Dropping Out of Activities, Missing Doctors' Appointments to Save Money

NEW YORK, Feb. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Teens are confident that the Obama administration will be able to resolve the current economic crisis, according to a recent study from the Scarborough Kids Internet Panel (S.K.I.P.), an Internet panel tracking youth behavior and sentiment. Three-quarters (75%) of teens in the study said they are optimistic that the new administration will help solve current economic problems. African-American and Hispanic teens appear to be more optimistic than Asian and Caucasian teens. Almost half (46%) of African-American teens are "very optimistic" about President Obama's ability to help the economy, versus 31 % of Hispanic teens, 24% of Caucasian teens and 20% of Asian teens.

The vote of confidence is well-timed, as teens are feeling the impact of the crisis at home. Three-quarters (74%) of teens surveyed said that they are worried about the economy, including almost one-quarter (23%) who are "very" worried and 51% who said that they are "somewhat worried." Twenty percent are "not very worried" and 6% "aren't worried at all."

Eighty-six percent of teen respondents think their parents worry about economic conditions, and 70% have discussed the economy with their parents. Almost half (47%) said that they would like to talk to their parents more about the issue and 64% of teens stated that they were discussing the downturn with their teachers at school. Eighty-one percent of teens are also interested in understanding more about the causes of the current problems.

The survey identified some health related behaviors being impacted by the economy. Many teens report that they have made adjustments in their household to accommodate changing financial situations. In order to save money:

• 15% of teens dropped out of a sport or recreational activity
• 13% missed doctors' appointments
• 11% stopped or cut back on taking vitamins
• 33% changed eating habits. The most frequent change cited is a reduction in eating out, particularly at quick service restaurants
• 20% have cut back on eating organic food

"The weakened economy is undoubtedly affecting the majority of American families, and teens are not exempt from feeling household financial stress," commented Steve Seraita, Executive Vice President of Scarborough Research. "Knowing the sentiments of kids, teens and their parents can help marketers tailor messages and new products to meet current needs. Even if a family is not able to afford a certain brand or product right now, marketers can stay top-of-mind and continue to engage and maintain the relationship with their consumers. Doing so will better position their brand to regain market share when families are able to spend again."

"There is also a message in this research study for government organizations and policy makers that are looking to use some of the stimulus funding earmarked for youth education/health programs," further commented Mr. Seraita. "The study clearly demonstrates that teens are feeling the financial pinch in their households and perhaps the new programs can help fill-in the gap where their families have cut back."

This S.K.I.P. survey was fielded from December 30, 2008 through January 10, 2009. Survey participants were between the ages of 13 and 17. If you are interested in learning more about fielding your own study for kids, teens and/or their parents, please contact Deirdre McFarland at 646-654-8434 or email info@scarborough.com.

About S.K.I.P.

The Scarborough Kids Internet Panel helps marketers to improve targeting activities, benchmark brand awareness, create media and marketing strategies for optimum impact and measure customer satisfaction among kids, teens and their parents. Through a customized survey of kids ages 6-17, marketers can better understand the perspective, brand preferences or attitudes of youth customers. Additionally, one of the primary benefits of Scarborough's youth panel is the ability to also survey parents. The S.K.I.P. has a high-quality sample that uses a variety of techniques to help insure valid research insights. It is fully compliant with the Children's Online Privacy Policy Protection Act (COPPA). Please visit http://www.scarborough.com/skip.htm to learn more about this Scarborough Research service.

About Scarborough Research

Scarborough Research (www.scarborough.com, info@scarborough.com) measures the lifestyle and shopping patterns, media behaviors and demographics of American consumers, and is considered the authority on local market research. Scarborough's core syndicated consumer insight studies in 81 Top-Tier Markets, its Multi-Market Study and its national USA+ Study are Media Rating Council (MRC) accredited. Other products and services include Scarborough Mid-Tier Local Market Studies, Hispanic Studies and Custom Research Solutions. Scarborough measures 2,000 consumer categories and serves a broad client base that includes marketers, advertising agencies, print and electronic media (broadcast and cable television, radio stations), sports teams and leagues and out-of-home media companies. Surveying more than 220,000 adults annually, Scarborough is a joint venture between Arbitron Inc. (www.arbitron.com) and The Nielsen Company (www.nielsen.com).

SOURCE Scarborough Research

Source: PR Newswire

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