Generational divides exist in consumers’ screen preferences, finds Millward Brown Digital in a recent survey demonstrating that Baby Boomers (51-69) are sticking with laptops and PCs over smartphones and tablets, while Millennials (18-34) tend to be more smartphone-centric, particularly for activities such as checking sports scores or the weather.
It’s worth noting that Boomers’ general preference for the laptop/PC comes despite the survey being fielded exclusively among respondents who own or have access to a smartphone or tablet.
Interestingly, while Millennials tend to focus more on their smartphones, there are some mitigating results:
- On the path-to-purchase, these mobile device-toting youth still pick up the laptop or PC first when shopping for financial services, consumer electronics and CPG; and
- Millennials are as likely to have used a TV yesterday as a smartphone (77% each), a fairly surprising result that recalls research from last year showing that Millennials still spend more time with the TV than with any other device.
Even so, older generations are far more apt to have used a TV yesterday than a digital device. Among Gen Xers (35-50), 86% had used a TV yesterday compared to 67% a laptop/PC and 60% a smartphone.
And among Baby Boomers, 91% had watched TV, whereas 71% had used a laptop/PC and 42% a smartphone. Those generational differences extend to entertainment sources: while Millennials are more likely to watch YouTube (72%) than cable TV (53%) on a weekly basis, the opposite is true for Boomers (65% cable TV; 43% YouTube).
Other findings:
- While 81% of respondents prefer smartphones to tables or laptops and PCs for tasks that take up to five minutes to complete, that figure drops to 43% for tasks that take 10-20 minutes. For tasks that take longer than that, laptops and PCs are the preferred digital device; and
- The most important factor for Millennials and Boomers is determining which screen to use for an activity is its size. For Gen Xers, the most important factor is its speed and performance.