Table of Contents

Heard on the Playground

What's New this Month

CyberStats

Kids

Tweens

Teens

Trend Watch

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Heard on the Playground

I recently had an opportunity to chaperone a large group of teenagers on a sports outing. We rode together on a chartered bus for 6 hours and believe it or not, it was not that bad!

There were 34 boys and girls on the bus, ages 14-18, and for the most part they were very well behaved. Most of the kids brought Walkmans¨ to listen to their favorite music. Others sat in pairs and talked. Some read books and magazines. Kids brought movies to watch. Their choice of movies gives some insight into what interests and motivates them.

The boys were really into hero stories. Rocky I-V were all available, and watching at least one of them was part of the travel ritual. Girls could care less about Rocky overcoming tremendous odds and beating the heck out of some poor slob. However, both the boys and the girls enjoyed Top Gun, which featured a good looking hero (Tom Cruise) who performs heroic stunts and wins the girl.

The girlsÕ choice of movies included Dirty DancingÑnot at all what the boys wanted to see although they had fun singing along with the songs. Then there were the Adam Sandler/Chris Farley movies, called Big Daddy and Black Sheep. The boys enjoyed the slapstick humor and Three-Stooges-like silliness. The girls tolerated it.

I Know What You Did Last Summer and Urban Legends rounded out the last of the movie choices. The kids seemed to enjoy watching the gore and horror together and laughed at some of the bloodiest parts.

Take-aways from this mini observation of teen movie choices include:

• Boys will watch boy movies, girls will watch either

• Hero stories are inspiring to teensÑhelping them to visualize options to difficult situations

• Music plays a big part in moviesÑsound tracks are VERY popular

• Scary movies are best watched in groups were they can laugh about their fears

• Bathroom humor, slapstick and general silliness are funny because they "break the rules"

• A good movie remains popular for a long time and can be watched over and over again

• Girls prefer romance over sexual content; boys like raunchiness

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What's New This Month: Halloween is Hot!

What costumes will be most popular this year? Look to current events, sports and entertainment for inspiration, according to The Halloween Association (THA).

Cartoon characters, such as PokŽmon¨ and The Powerpuff Girlsª are expected to be wildly popular this year among the younger set (ages 7-11). Pikachu, Lugia and Zapdos are easily the most popular of all. Characters from Scooby Dooª and the Toy Story movies are strong sellers as well, and outfits inspired by the live-action Power Rangers¨ and Light Speed Rescue are also popular. Others include those inspired by the cartoons Dragonball Zª and Digimonª. Of particular interest will be the characters of Agumon and Gabumon, as well as the X-Menª.

Both children and adults will dress up in the mask and dark robes of the sinister killer in the Scream movies and in the recent parody, Scary Movie. Thomas the Tank Engine, Disney's Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Snow White, remain popular, as does Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz. Barbie is also a classic.

Wrestlers remain a hugely popular identity among adults and children alike. Younger boys will be emulating NASCAR drivers. Wizards and sorcerers inspired by the phenomenally popular Harry Potter series, is a trend that is expected to grow markedly.

A significant number of adults are now taking Halloween into the workplace, wearing costumes to the office and sometimes holding casual Halloween get-togethers there.

On the opposite end of that costuming trend is one geared toward the very littlest celebrants - babies. Parents are turning their infants into animals, flowers, insects and even vegetables, such as pumpkins or peas in a pod. Look for Teletubbies¨, Dumbo, Blue's Clues, Winnie the Pooh and Sesame Streetª as well. While many adults used to wait until their children were toddlers to take them trick-or-treating or to parties, the advent of such costumes means that parents can also attend functions of their own, bringing their baby along in appropriate attire.

Not to be left out are the teenaged to college-age bracket. ItÕs an awkward age because young adults are still interested in dressing up and partying, and in being part of the fun, but don't want to be thought of as "kids." Edgy, sexy outfits appeal to this age group. Examples include rock stars and characters inspired by the 'teen and 'tween' cult TV shows, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch and Charmed.

And donÕt forget the family pet! Outfits are now available for dogs of all sizes, and in some cases, for cats as well. In fact, a recent survey found that eight percent of all households intended to dress up their pets for Halloween!

Halloween is definitely a holiday that has come of age. More adults are celebrating the holiday than ever before. This surge, according to THA, is directly attributable to baby boomers (35- to 44-year olds), who carry fond memories of the Halloweens of their childhood, and who now want to pass that same experience on to their own children. Adults don't want to let go of the fun and celebration, and as a result, the holiday is now recognized as the third biggest party holiday of the year - behind New Year's Eve and Superbowl Sunday.

As Halloween continues to become more popular, look for the push to move the holiday to the last Saturday in October.

Source: The Halloween Association

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CyberStats: Teens are High Tech

According to Teen People's Trendspotter Tech Poll, here's how teens rank the technology in their lives:

How many hours a day do you spend online?

53% 1-3 hours

22% 3-5 hours

13% less than 1 hour

9% 5-10 hours

3% more than 10 hours

What is the main way you keep in contact with your friends?

33% talking on the phone from home

32% e-mails, instant messages, and chat rooms

18% seeing them in person

17% cell phone and pager messages

Which of the following tech items do you own?

61% cell phone

49% pager

26% laptop

8% handheld computer

6% Palm Pilot

How many of your friends own a cell phone, Palm Pilot¨, or pager?

41% most of them

29% some of them

11% all of them

20% not very many

How many cell phone calls do you make/receive each day?

35% 2-5

26% 1

21% 5-10

10% 10-20

7% more than 20

Do you have friends you communicate with solely via e-mail?

74% yes

26% no

What do you think is the main reason teens are so into technology?

38% it's a status symbol

16% we need it in order to stay in the game for education and jobs

15% it's fun now, though the novelty could wear off

10% we need it to keep our lives organized

Source: Teen People¨, 10/00, p. 32

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Kids and Shopping

If kids don't buy on-line, what they see on-line will influence their off-line buying. According to a new survey by Jupiter Communications, kids and teens are expected to spend approximately $4.9 billion on-line in 2005, but spend an estimated $21.4 billion in off-line purchases, based on the information they get on-line. Jupiter's advice to on-line marketers is to look at the bigger spending potential, and make sure kids get the product information on-line that will drive them to purchase off-line.

Source: BusinessWire, 9/13/00

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Tweens and War

Maybe itÕs because of the latest Mideast crisis; maybe itÕs because of the bombing of the USS Cole...todayÕs tweens are becoming very concerned about going to WAR.

In a just-completed internet survey with our research partner, KidzEyes.com, WonderGroup found that 76% of todayÕs tweens are very, or at least somewhat, concerned about going to war. This concern about war is greater than the concern about fighting in school, pollution, drugs in school and is actually tied with concern over guns in school!

We continue to find that todayÕs tweens are very aware of what is happening in the world today and how those things might affect them.

The above study is part of a major research program being conducted by WonderGroup as part of an upcoming book to be published on Tween Marketing due out early next year by Paramount Publishing Company.

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Teen Girls are Stressed Out!

According to a Teen¨ Magazine/Sears¨ Pulse Poll, over 60% of girls in America are stressed out, over-scheduled and overwhelmed. What's the cause? 

Top 10 sources of stress:

1. schoolwork

2. being over-scheduled

3. getting into college

4. not getting enough sleep

5. parents

6. body image

7. brothers and sisters

8. guys and dating

9. having the right look

10. peer pressure

Source: Teen¨, 9/00, p. 88

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Trend Watch: Holiday Toy Picks

According to consumer mag Toy Wishes, here's what they're predicting will be big sellers this holiday season, in alphabetical order: (toy/manufacturer)  

Source: Bloomberg News, 9/19/00

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That's all the scoop for this month. See you in November!