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Figure
1 - UK Birth Rate
Source:
eNth.com
The
increase in births between 1980 and 1994 will correspond
to a steady
rise in the teenage population between 1994 and 2012.
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The
days of declining birth rates ended in the late 1970s
as baby boomers settled down between and created a mini
birth explosion between 1979 and 1994.
-
The
traditional family unit has been elbowed out by alternative
arrangements - including single parents and step families.
-
Teens
have been brought up to be self-sufficient, reflecting
the increasing number of mothers in work.
-
As
with previous generations, technology does not present
a threat - the difference is that the technology has
moved on. The Internet has replaced the video recorder
to become the 'Oooh Daaaad. Let me do it.' factor of
the millennium.
-
Teens
are sceptical about advertising, and even more sceptical
about companies that try to look cool - 'It's like your
Dad pretending to ride a skateboard' as one teen put
it to me.
-
They
watch Dawson's Creek and Buffy and love Will Smith.
-
Online,
they are into email (though surprisingly few have their
own email addresses - most share with their families),
and chat.
Figure
2 - Teen Weekly Spending
Source:
eNth.com
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