How can we get kids to be more involved with saving the environment? Perhaps all we need to do is give them a computer and access to the Internet. At least that is what one recent study might suggest.
Research firm JupiterReserarch just released their results of a study yesterday that shows a link between teenagers who are concerned with the environment, known as “green teens,” and Internet activity.
The study tracked the common activities of teenagers, finding that the green teens, when compared tot he average teenager are more engaged in listening to music online, chat online, post a blog or personal web page or even respond to an online poll.
Furthermore, according to the study, these green teens are more influential with their peers, and more likely to buy something based on online marketing. I wonder if these facts will make the so-called green teens a new target for marketing campaigns. At the very least, the results of this study should have those marketing folks jumping up and down with excitement.
The study’s author, David Card, a senior analyst at Jupiter Research does warn that this could all just be a phase or a fad for teens. He implies that one of the things that may be influencing the results of the study is the trend of being green. That is, green products are all very trendy for teens in general at the moment.
He also adds that these teenagers are pretty clever as far as putting their money where their beliefs are. Card says that any green messages in marketing better be backed up with a legitimate message about the environment, because it is his belief that the teenagers won’t be easily fooled by false hype.
Perhaps parents can take advantage of this trend to find online websites that are focused on green concerns, and find ways that green teens can help influence policy makers and corporations, using the Internet as a resource. It could be a positive way to combine the interests of their teens and steer them away from excess marketing.
What do you think?
Mary Ann Romans also writes for the Frugal Living Blog here at Families.com, where she shares money saving tips for today’s families.
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