According to the Association of Online Publishers the study, called 'My Digital Life', identified four emerging "mega trends" in the consumption of online media. These are participation, on-demand, mobility and personalisation. The study also indicated the importance of well known online brands to consumers.
The AOP said that participation was one of the most significant, which the AOP said included blogging and posting comments online. It found that 73% of 18-to 24-year-olds posted or blogged online. In addition, it highlighted gaming sites being strong in terms of user generated content, identified as one of the key platforms of social media.
On demand comprised podcasting, which was used by 12% of US online audience's in November 2006. A good example of this, the review said, was the growing momentum around podcasting. The AOP highlighted Podcast Alley, which hosts more than 25,000 podcasts. The study said that 12% of the US online audience downloaded a podcast in November 2006.
Mobility is a key trend with 80% of people in the UK owning a mobile that gives them the ability to access media on the move. The AOP also noted the increased functionality that these devices offer, allowing people to not only access information when they want, but to take it with them.
Personalisation covered personalised online content, including social media sites such as , and RSS feeds.
The AOP was carried out on behalf of the organisation by independent researchers in December 2006 and focused on the consumption of information and resources online by UK internet users.
*The AOP report is reinforced by a also published this week by Initiative about online social media trends. The study found that 96% of 16-24 year olds had heard of social networking websites, with 70% registered members of one or more sites.
The Initiative study found that men under the age of 21 were the group most likely to be signed up for social networking, but those who were not registered said they did not have time or were not interested.
A further 75% of participants were registered with more than one website, with one in five members of more than one site. MySpace, Bebo and FaceBook were cited as the most popular social media sites.
Initiative said social media was "a young phenomenon, possibly for those who have yet to feel the full pressures of a working life".
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