IPA TouchPoints Data Reveals Less Stressed Youngsters Turn to TikTok During Lockdown

The mood states of 15-24s increased significantly during the first few weeks immediately after lockdown, coinciding with youngsters having more time to relax and devote to hobbies, exercise and media. This is according to new IPA TouchPoints 2020 data, released today (10th September 2020), which documents the daily lifestyle and media consumption habits of the British population.

When looking specifically at the 15-24-year-old cohort of the data set, the TouchPoints figures reveal an 18% decrease in the number of this younger generation feeling stressed, from 71% pre-lockdown to 58%. There is also an almost 10% decrease in the number feeling frustrated, from 62% to 56%.

Coinciding with these mood state figures, the data reveals interesting insights into this younger generation’s communication, media consumption and lifestyle habits from pre-lockdown to now, including:

How are 15-24-year-olds communicating?

• Voice video calling has leapt from an hour and three quarters a day to two hours and 12 minutes per day. Before lockdown, 47% of 15–24s were using voice and video, which has risen to 76%.
• Time spent on social media by 15-24s increased by nearly 40 minutes a day to three hours and 47 minutes and social messaging increased by 10 minutes a day to three hours and eight minutes, while talking on a landline, using email, and texting have all decreased.

What media are they consuming?

• Watching more television and video in general: 15-24s’ viewing increased from three hours and 41 minutes a day to three hours and 58 minutes a day in total.
• Watching more paid-for on demand video: Netflix reach increased from 66% to 73% for 15-24s who increased the time they spent watching it from two hours and 23 minutes a day to two hours and 34 minutes a day.
• Engaging with more video content: TikTok has doubled its reach with this audience, from 14% pre-lockdown to 30%, while YouTube has increased reach from 60% to 63%.

How are they spending their time?

• Sleeping and relaxing: This generation of 15-24s are getting up an hour later than before lockdown, rising at 8am on the average day. There has also been a particularly sharp increase in time spent relaxing, from 3 hours 43 minutes a day to four hours 15 minutes a day.
• Playing games: this is up from two hours 36 minutes a day to three hours 19 minutes a day.
• Preparing food and cooking have increased by 10 minutes to one hour and eight minutes a day.
• Getting healthy: There has been an increase in those using green parks and spaces, from 38% to 50% a week. In addition, the percentage of those running/ jogging each week has gone up from 26% to 29%, and cycling from 9% to 14%.
• Reading more, with time spent reading increasing from 44 minutes a day to 56 minutes a day; coinciding, magazine reading (in print or online) for this audience has increased reach from 22% to 27%.
• Thinking ahead: In terms of planning for the next 12 months, there has also been a big increase, from 37% to 43%, saying they want to develop new life skills.

Says IPA research director, Belinda Beeftink: “This top-line data from our full 2020 IPA TouchPoints dataset reveals some interesting insights into the lifestyles of 15-24s over this turbulent time. Our subscribers can delve deeper into the full dataset in order to fully understand this key demographic. As well as providing new information about their mood states, and hinting at their future plans, the data also reveals the acceleration of their media consumption habits, particularly in the take-up of video content, such as TikTok, and paid-for video-on-demand.”