I came across this interesting press release announcing the results of a Yahoo!/OMD survey of 4500 online families across 16 countries called: “It’s a Family Affair: the Media Evolution of Global Families in a Digital Age.

If you have the time I recommend reading the entire document but here are some snippets from that I think you will find interesting. Please note that copied content is shown in Red:

Quote 1:

“The research also found that the average global family owns 11 technological devices (12 devices in the U.S.), creating concerns about information overload while enabling better communications:

  • 70 percent of global survey respondents agreed that technology allows them to stay in touch with family;
  • 29 percent of parents said that they use mobile phones to keep in touch with children throughout the day;
  • 25 percent of parents said instant messaging has helped improve relationships with their children.”

Quote 2:

“Purpose-driven media usage. Families have adapted to new and changing media and technology, and now rely on the Internet as their top source of information on travel, jobs, finance and automobiles. Approximately half of respondents said they rely primarily on television for news (50 percent) and comedy (43 percent). Magazines are a significant source for celebrity gossip and other niche content. Newspapers are viewed as a strong secondary source, after the Internet, for information with a local flavor such as jobs, sports, concerts and events.

“You’ve got…functionality. In addition to enabling socializing, technology has become integral to routine family life. Two thirds (66 percent) of U.S. families surveyed use the Internet to research products, and 64 percent use a search engine every day. Families also use the Internet to share photos (62 percent), make travel reservations (60 percent) and research health (61 percent).”

Quote #3:

“The research shows that families in developed countries around the world are as inundated with technology and media as American families, but with some important distinctions. The U.S. lags other global regions in mobile phone usage. Mexico and the United Kingdom have the highest adoption of DVRs, and Asia leads in MP3 player adoption. In China, 59 percent of survey respondents watch streaming video online versus 25 percent globally.”

The Synopsis:
The conclusion provided by this research is pretty conclusive. If you advertise on or provide an online service or tool that will help a family create balance in their lives (i.e. communicating with loved ones, planning the next weekend, providing quality consumer advice, etc.) you are going to be reaching a very receptive audience.

Take what you will from these statistics but I know I find them quite comforting. After all, it is nice to know that today’s families use the web for planning their days nearly as much as I do. Maybe I am not such a Geek after all!?

Source for Quotes: Yahoo Press Release on Business Wire.