Government Technology

57% of Teen Internet Users Create, Remix or Share Content Online


November 3, 2005 By

American teenagers today are utilizing the interactive capabilities of the Internet as they create and share their own media creations. Fully half of all teens and 57% of teens who use the Internet could be considered Content Creators, according to Pew Internet. They have created a blog or webpage, posted original artwork, photography, stories or videos online or remixed online content into their own new creations.

About 21 million or 87% of those ages 12-17 use the Internet, according to a survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project. The results highlight that this is a generation comfortable with content-creating technology. Teens are eager to share their thoughts, experiences, and creations with the wider Internet population. Some key findings:
  • 33% of online teens share their own creative content online, such as artwork, photos, stories or videos.
  • 32% say that they have created or worked on webpages or blogs for others, including groups they belong to, friends or school assignments.
  • 22% report keeping their own personal webpage.
  • 19% of online teens keep a blog, and 38% of online teens read blogs.
  • 19% of Internet-using teens say they remix content they find online into their own artistic creations.
Teens are often much more enthusiastic authors and readers of blogs than their adult counterparts. Teen bloggers, led by older girls, are a major part of this tech-savvy cohort. Teen bloggers are more fervent Internet users than non-bloggers and have more experience with almost every online activity in the survey.

"For American teens, blogs are about self-expression, building relationships, and carving out a presence online," said Amanda Lenhart, co-author of the report entitled, "Teen Content Creators and Consumers" and Senior Research Specialist at the Project. "Most young people aren't spending their time at the highly-trafficked A-list blogs. They're reading and creating the 'long-tail' of blogs -- personal sites read by networks of friends and family."

These findings are based on a November 2004 survey of 1,100 youth ages 12 to 17 and their parents. The margin of error for responses based on the sample of teens or parents is

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