There’s been much talk over recent years of new media cannibalizing old, but that may be far from the case. In fact, new media may actually be helping to strengthen some forms of traditional media, such as TV and magazines. That’s one finding in a wide-ranging new study from Deloitte's Technology, Media & Telecom Group, which broke respondents into four groups: Millennials ages 13-24, Generation Xers ages 25-41, Boomers ages 42-60 and Matures ages 61-75. It found that while there are many variances in media usage between these groups, there is also a lot that ties them together. They are using the internet, for example, to feed their TV habits, sharing their opinions on favorite shows. They employ DVRs mainly to ensure they catch their favorite programs, not in order to skip commercials. And nearly three-quarters said they still read magazines, even though they realize they can find much of the same information online. Ed Moran, director of product innovation at Deloitte, talks to Media Life about feeding viewers’ TV habits online, the pervasiveness of user-generated content, and the biggest differences among the four generations.

 
What did you find most interesting or most surprising about this study?
 
Well, a couple themes emerged that were interesting to us. One was the resilience of old media and how powerful TV and magazines are. There's also the amount of time people spend with older media. We were kind of surprised by that.

When we looked at online activity, we found that levels of visits to favorite TV shows’ web sites and to TV web sites in general are very high. People want to connect with all the people that like that show.

People haven’t changed. There’s still interest in the same things, but it was surprising to see that resilience. People go online to enjoy TV more. It’s a little unexpected.
 

What are some of the biggest differences in media consumption between the four age groups studied?
 
Well, one of the ones that jumped out was the cell phone.

Among Millennials, they think it’s an entertainment device. Forty-six percent of them agree with the statement, “I use it as an entertainment device.”

There’s a big importance behind that thinking. There are game consoles, PCs, or DVD players, and the cell phone is now considered an entertainment device. That was a difference.

But only 1 percent of matures consider their cell phone an entertainment device.
 
Another thing that was interesting was user-generated content. We all know, anecdotally, that UGC is popular in the media, and Millennials are particularly big consumers of that content.

It’s sharing photos, going online for a blog, communicating through MySpace, just a tremendous amount of consumption. Around 51 percent spend their time with it rather than corporate-created content.
 

Were you surprised at the appetite for user-generated content seen across the generations, with 51 percent watching or reading it, as you mentioned?
 
I was, and again, when you look at what’s taking place, it makes perfect sense. There are 100 million YouTube videos posted per day, or some ridiculous number like that. Among Millennials, a majority are interested.

What does that mean?

Well, if you’re an advertiser and you’re trying to reach that demo, you have to pay very close attention to it. Where is it interesting to them? How do we monetize it? How do we get our brand out there? What are the models for tracking use? How do we know who’s viewing, and how often?

Those are the questions that get raised. It’s one thing to know who’s using it. The next step is, what sites do we need to go to?
 

What are some of the biggest misconceptions about these groups?
 
Well, I think one of the misconceptions is we tend to view older folks as less technologically inclined.

We asked folks, “How important is multitasking to your success in school or your career?”

And we saw that among the young it’s important, but as you got older they considered it more important. When we asked if you’re considered tech-savvy, they responded favorably. They didn’t consider themselves people who didn’t understand the technology.
 

You found that Generation X embraces the DVR more than any other age group. Why is that?
 
When you look at the top uses of a DVR, first is time-shifting, that’s the No. 1 use. No. 2 is making sure you catch every episode of your show. No. 3  is skipping commercials. So really the first two are: I want to consume more TV, and this device allows me to do that.

It’s a testament to people’s love affair with television programming. They don’t want their schedules to intrude on their entertainment.
 
So why are Xers and Boomers such big fans? Aren’t those first two reasons why people use DVRs really about the fight with time?

It’s the one thing we have no control over. So, the ability to time-shift is really a recognition of that fact, the fact that I want to watch a TV show and I can shift it to when I want to watch it.

It drops off with Matures because Matures have more time. If you’re a Millennial, you also have a lot of free time.  

More than three-quarters said they still read magazines despite the availability of much of that content online. What does that tell us about the future viability of that medium?
 
I think it’s a validation of what a lot of people have thought, that we’re not going to be in a binary world with everything online. Also, there is a usability aspect to all of this. There’s something very seamless and easy about reading a magazine.

They’re high-quality, have high-resolution images, they’re easy to scroll  through, and they don’t need an internet connection. Think about the power of a magazine in terms of a visual format. It conveys art and graphics; it’s about as good as it gets.

Online can be a pale representation, and I think that’s something we tend to forget.

More likely than not, there will be a long period of cohabitation. Magazines existed along with TV and radio, and I think they still will in an online world.