70% of Teens Into Social Networking - And A Growing Number Are Taking It Mobile

That's the word from M:Metrix, which found that 70% of 13- to 17-year-olds engage in social networking or some form of content creation - with Italian teens leading their peers in the UK an US. And a growing number of them are going mobile

"Much as teens were the early adopters of PC-based social networking applications, they have proven to be the innovators in the mobile arena," says Paul Goode, vice president and senior analyst, M:Metrics. "Although teenagers and young adults make up only six to 10 percent of mobile subscribers, they generate more than their fair share of mobile content."

According to the research firm, phone-to-phone photo messaging is the most popular form of user-generated content. But video messaging and user-created ringtones are increasingly popular.

"There is a direct correlation between 3G penetration and video messaging," observed Goode. "With the proliferation of better networks comes moderately priced, highly capable devices that are appropriate for younger users. As better, cheaper devices enter these markets on faster networks, we would expect mobile content consumption to increase significantly, particularly among this highly connected demographic."

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