Marketing Research: Teens' Methods to Combat Stress

The Top 12 Ways Young People Relieve Stress

Posted by anastasia on 04-08-2009

The folks over at MTV Sticky (i.e. Viacom Brand Solutions International) sent me their very cool Teen Age Clicks: Understanding Global Youth Culture report, which is packed with interesting info and stats. They gave me permission to excerpt a few sections for you on Ypulse. We all know that youth are busier and more stressed than ever before — according to the report, "stress is the invisible global constant afflicting youth of all ages in all markets." Here's how they're managing around the world….

1. Music Rules. The number one way young people cope with stress is to listen to music — 65% of all youth globally do this.

2. The Sun Always Shines On TV. In at number two, 48% of kids watch TV to relieve stress. 60% of youth globally lie down to watch TV. But….don't watch CNN. MTV's research proves the more news kids watch, the more stressed they become.

3. Talk To Me. Third is talking to friends (not face to face). The explosion in the new tools available to connect to friends has seemingly come at just the right time for a generation seeking moral support. That said, it is existing friends that provide the most support, rather than strangers, the only nation likely to turn to help from online strangers in significant numbers are the Chinese.

4. Sleep On It. Fourth most popular method is sleeping. However the quality of modern teens' sleep in question, "junk sleep" caused by over stimulated minds fueled by in-room gadgetry is the new "junk food." 40 percent of teens claim to be tired during the day.

5. Just Like A Prayer. Prayer is only the 14th most popular form of stress relief globally, but MTV has it at number 5 because statistically, young people who pray more are less stressed. Stressed youth on average pray 3.7 times per week. Relaxed youth pray 8.8 times a week.

6. Family Affair. Family represents a key source of love and self esteem. 43% of kids in the U.S. consult family when stressed. Generally young people in developing markets are more likely to turn to family. However, they are also the markets where parents are often the most absent. The average Mexican 8-15 year old spends 2.9 hours at home alone, compared to British kids who spend less than 45 minutes.

7. Big Boys Do Cry. Americans are the most likely nation to cry when stressed. They are also the most likely to play computer games (39%).

8. Thrills, Pills & Bellyaches. British are the most likely nation of youths to drink (43%) when stressed…They also eat a lot of junk food (40%) and do drugs (11%).

9. C'est a moi que tu paries? French are the most likely youth to get aggressive (42%) and have sex (16%).

10. Worried Sick. Swedish youth are the most likely to deal with stress through eating disorders. 23% make themselves sick after eating whilst 18% claim to diet or stop eating.

11. Shop Hard. Play Hard. The Chinese are most likely to shop to relieve stress (42%), exercise/play to relieve stress (46%) and are the most likely to write a journal/blog (27%).

12. Pass The Kleenex Henrik. Danish are the most likely to masturbate.

For more coverage of youth marketing, go to the Ypulse Youth Marketing Channel sponsored by Youth Marketing Connection.

So what do you think of that? Do you think young adult literature properly reflect these habits? Most novels revolve around a stressful situation for the protagonists (and antagonists, too, for that matter). But have you ever read a book where the main character masturbates to deal with stress?