Growing up in the internet age has a profound effect on teens’ attitudes toward data sharing. Social media sites are widely accepted as outlets to broadcast intimate details about participants’ day-to-day lives with peers, colleagues, family members and onlooking brands. Marketers hungry for audience targeting insights should see fewer roadblocks in the future because younger consumers show a willingness to share certain personal data, according to the Pew Internet & American Life Project.
The Teens, Social Media and Privacy report found 91 percent of teens post photos of themselves on a regular basis in 2013, up from 79 percent in 2006. More than 70 percent also share their schools’ names and details about their hometowns. They are also giving out contact data more readily, with 53 admitting they post email addresses and 20 percent publishing phone numbers.
As a counterbalance, the report found young internet users say they have a better handle on privacy measures to keep their personal content out of the wrong hands. Marketers shouldn’t worry too much, though. Only 9 percent are very concerned about third-parties accessing their data. Their fears are largely limited to hacking schemes or having reputation-damaging photos and messages leaked to their communities.
Brafton recently reported that brands are investing more in audience targeting to ensure their custom content is shared with the right people at the optimal times. Marketers that know how to create engaging social media content for their customers will continue to earn access to increasingly private social accounts. This should encourage brands to regularly build on their social marketing successes and improve how they develop media for their opt-in audiences.
