press briefing presentation

Summary of key findings

Socialising - Summer 2002

ROAR background

ROAR provides unique insights into the mindset of today’s 15-24 year olds

ROAR was founded in 1995 with the guiding principle:

“To create the most well respected youth research project in UK media & marketing”

ROAR consortium

CombinedExpense

Media

IndustryCredibility

SharedResources

How did we do it?

1,019 Nationally representative 30 minute face-to-face interviews with 15-24 year olds conducted in May 2002

Boost of 200 ‘Opinion Formers’ (trend-setters) recruited to a criteria specified by 2cv & agreed with ROAR

Qualitative groups, photo diaries & accompanied nights out/ nights in conducted in Sep 2002

Youth research the ROAR way

2002 has been about discoveryLooking underneath the surface of youth to create a definitive guide to both finances and socialisingTo identify the key trends in youth culture todayAnd to understand where these trends originate

Youth culture today

What is distinct about this particular generation?

Socio-cultural influencesRise of consumerism (the most commercially mined generation in history)Disappearance of the traditional family unit & societal institutionsHave to be increasingly self-sufficient & responsible for themselves (education, financial)

Realism over idealism A need to grow up fasterIncreasingly micro focussed – “Me, me, me”A belief that important issues have been fought and that “I can’t make a difference anyway”

Our latest research investigated how these factors affect young people

1. Controlled hedonism

2. Logo V’s No-logo

3. A creative generation?

1. A generation with a new approach to hedonism

Myth No 1 hedonism is the same as it ever was

Hedonism no longer tied to rebellion

The first thing we discovered is that today’s youth approach to having a great time is different to past generations

Not using good times to drop out of normal society c.f. 60s

Or to challenge society c.f. hippies, punk, or even rave in the early 90’s

For this generation, rebellion is an outmoded ideaNo taboos and rules left to rebel against

“We weren’t going to let the system do anything to us. We wanted to live our lives how we wanted to live them – and we went out and did that” (Punk, 1980)

“I cant rebel against anything anymore cos it’s all been done before hasn’t it. I’m not saying anything new. If anything, I’m just following the crowd” (Male, 19 ROAR 2002)

Hedonism with an element of self-control

They also realise the need to be self dependent & responsible

“If you opt out, you let yourself down” (Female, 21 ROAR 2002)“I hate getting totally smashed all the time. I’m a lot better company when I’m more normal” (Female, 21 ROAR 2002)

The rock & roll lifestyle of punks of the 80’s & ravers from the early 90’s is no longer realistic given this added responsibility

Social lives are used to meet a number of needs…

1. Pure release

Q. “Do you consider ‘hedonistic’ as a word appropriate to your generation?”

A. “Yes. Release. A way of offloading stresses”(Male, 21 ROAR 2002)

Social lives are used to meet a number of needs…

2. Moment of equality in a normally competitive world

“When everyone is drunk, it doesn’t matter whose got more money or a better job or whatever” (Male, 20 ROAR 2002)

3. Moment of community in a self focussed culture

“I find it helps me connect with people. We all drop a pill (Ecstasy), and you talk and relate to each other again. It breaks down barriers” (Male, 19 ROAR 2002)

How does hedonism manifest itself?

Taking your answer from this card. What do you consider a great night out? (Multiple answers allowed)

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Sample: All respondents (1219)

But everyone needs to chill out – staying in is a massive part of youth culture today

How strongly do you agree or disagree with these statements about going out & staying in?

12 7

22

13

6680

0 0

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

I like having a quiet night at home I like to chill out with friends athome

%

Agree

Neither/nor

Disagree

Don’t know


Summary

Drugs, drink and sex are all a large part of youth culture today.

But, unlike their predecessors – they use this in more of controlled way. Rebellion is a thing of the past.

In 2002 its all about letting go for a few hours on a Saturday night, and then getting back to the serious business of being aged 15-24 on Monday morning

2. Logo V’s No-logo

Myth No 2: The No Logo generation

“Simply put, anticorporatism is the brand of politics capturing the imagination of the next generation of troublemakers and shit-disturbers, and we need only look to the student radicals of the 1960’s and ID warriors of the 80’s and 90’s to see the transformative impact such a shift can have.” (Naomi Klein, No Logo first published 2000)

“You need to read a book called ‘No Logo’. It will shock you. You will be horrified. I only read a 3rd of it… I had to put it away otherwise I would just be too consumed with the guilt” (Female , ROAR 2002)

82%

74%

42%

15%

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30%

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50%

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FriendsRecommendation

Brand name Advertising Ethical

As we saw last year in ROAR ethics are not hitting home with this generation...

Source: ROAR Wave 1 2001 Survey.Sample: All Respondents (456)

What factors are important to you when choosing a clothes brand?

Why is this?

There are a number of reasons cited for not focusing on ethics

1. Too far removed from everyday life“You can sit around and worry about it, but there is nothing you can do about it” (Female 22, ROAR 2002)

2. I can’t make a difference. “What can I do? It won’t make any difference if I stop buying Nike, its just a drop in the ocean” (Female 21, ROAR 2002)“I don’t think that my contribution to the bigger picture is going to be enough” (Male 19, ROAR 2002)

3. Micro-focussed – Me, me, me “Nike trainers must cost around £8 to make, why the hell am I paying £100, I must be mad!” (Female 23, ROAR 2002)“How much worse can you get than Nestle? But I’m terrible – I buy their stuff” (Female 24, ROAR 2002)

In fact the generation that grew up in the most branded decade are split on Logo V’s No Logo

I'd like to know a little more about your attitude to fashion. How much do you agree with these statements about fashion?

35

20

44

0

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

I prefer designer labels

%

Agree

Neither/nor

Disagree

Don’t know


So if it’s not ethics, why are some opposed?Sense that individuality is being threatened

“I wont buy Reebok because everyone has them – I just look like one of the lemmings who has no mind of their own” (Female, 20 ROAR 2002)

“FCUK & Tommy Hilfiger… fitting in to get approval basically. Everyone wearing what they are supposed to wear. Nothing different. And everyone else is saying ‘He’s how he should be’.” (Male, 22 ROAR 2002)

Realisation that individuality comes from within not from fashion labels

“Fashion is just whatever it says in Vogue magazine. It doesn’t really say anything about your personality.” (Female 22, ROAR 2002)

3. A creative generation?

Myth No 3: The style press would have us believe they are a creative,

participative generation of ‘doers’.

Myth No 4: Many others think they are a generation of Playstation playing couch

potatoes.

What the style press would have us believe…

“Remember Generation X? The Nineties do-nothing slackers? That’s so over. Being bored, smoking weed and playing Playstation used to be a radical lifestyle choice. Now it’s just part of being a teenager…

Everything has turned around. Today’s young rebels are, well, busy. There’s a new strata of organised, efficient hard-working people who are running non-mainstream subcultures. Fanzine culture has exploded…Gigantic, Blank Generation…Expensive band merchandise T-shirts are being replaced with original designs, screenprinted using the Gokko home-printing set. And activism has returned.”

(The Face, September 2002, ‘Anti Slacker’)

In reality whilst 2 in 3 are motivated by the notion of creativity,

Agree

Neither/nor

Disagree

Don’t know


How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

15

27

58

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

I get really motivated by either creating things myself or by keeping up withcreativity in the world

%

only 37% are actively involved in creating something in an interest area

Agree

Neither/nor

Disagree

Don’t know


How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

33

30

37

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

I am personally involved in creating something new in an area that I aminterested in

%

But this doesn’t mean the other myth (couch potatoes), is the answer either

The majority are opposed to the notion of a couch lifestyle

62% disagree “Playing console games with my mates is more fun than going out”

Just 18% agree & 20% ‘neither/nor’

72% agree “I actually participate in areas I’m interested in rather than just read about them”

Just 10% disagree & 18% ‘neither/nor’

60% agree “I would go mad if I didn’t go out at least once a week”

Just 28% disagree & 12% ‘neither/nor’


In summary

They are neither a proactive, creative generation, nor a generation of couch potatoes.

In truth they fall somewhere between the two.

However the advent of technology & growth in pastimes such as extreme/street sports have actually developed new platforms for creativity

New definitions of creativity?

Creativity & participation seem to be manifested differently. They are not just passively consuming the creativity of others i.e. through the media

E.g. many spend time online in chatrooms creating identities

“Chatrooms are great cos your anonymous. When I go in I try on different identities for size. Like I can portray myself as someone completely different to who I am. You can also play around with your gender, which is really weird too!”

(Male 22, ROAR 2002)A drift to experiential pursuits – e.g. skating, travel & graffiti

Creativity today more about self development than creating an end product?

Shift to creativity in self development, rather than a creative end product?

“As a young person I was in a situation where I didn’t know who I was kind of thing. And there was this thing happening outside on the streets where I could create a new identity for myself, which is pretty much what I used graffiti for, to create an identity which I was certain of. . . I could hide behind the anonymity of it or I could be quite public about it. That’s what really got me and others into it, we were looking to create our self identities”

(Futura, quoted from The Graffiti Subculture, written by Nancy Macdonald)

Some Conclusions

1. Hedonism has become purely an outlet for brief escapism rather than a lifestyle for the youth of today

2. The bombardment of branding that this generation have experienced & the capitalist world they grew up in seems to have resulted in polarised views on brands. And ethics still don’t play a part in this.

3. Creativity does still exist, but is manifested in new and interesting platforms, often built around exploration of the self

Want to find out more?

Go to Go to www.roar.org

press briefing presentation

Lifestyle