Teens today are the most digitally connected generation we have ever seen. A study released this week by Nielsen on teen media usage offers some interesting insight into the connected people of the class of 2011.

Nielsen reports that teens:

• Are the Heaviest Mobile Video Viewers.

“On average, mobile subscribers ages 12-17 watched 7 hours 13 minutes of mobile video a month in Q4 2010, compared to 4 hours 20 minutes for the general population,” says the Nielsen report.

There is a strong upward trend in teens watching video on their phones. The most popular video content for teens is music, which was watched by 54% of teens surveyed. MP3 players are also popular devices for video consumption among teens. One third of US teens watch video on an MP3 player daily.

Top Genres of Mobile Video Consumption by Reach – Mobile Video Users Ages 13-17

• Are More Receptive to Mobile Advertising than their Elders: More than half (58%) surveyed in September 2010 said they “always” or “sometimes” look at mobile ads.

• Out-Text All Other Age Groups: In Q1 2011, teens 13-17 sent an average of 3,364 mobile texts per month, more than doubling the rate of the next most active texting demo, 18-24 year olds (1,640 texts per month).

Texting isn’t the only way that teens communicate, though. Nielsen also points to video messaging (used by 26% of teens), instant messaging, and other mobile applications as methods of sharing information.

All of this “silent” digital communication hasn’t been lost on local schools. Ninety-three percent of US teens say that their school has placed at least one restriction on their mobile usage.

Mobile Media Usage by US Teens – 13-17 Mobile Users

• Talk Less on the Phone: Besides seniors 65-plus, teens talk the least on their phones, talking an average of 515 minutes per month in Q1 2011 versus more than 750 minutes among 18-24 year olds.

Average Number of Monthly Texts vs. Phone Calls – US Mobile Teens Ages 13-17

• Grew Up in the Age of Social Media—and It Shows: While they make up just 7.4 percent of those using social networks, 78.7 percent of 12-17 year olds visited social networks or blogs.

• Watch Less TV than the General Population: The average American watched 34 hours 39 minutes of TV per week in Q4 2010, a year-over-year increase of two minutes. Teens age 12-17 watch the least amount of TV on average (23 hours 41 minutes per week).

It’s worth noting though that teenagers spend a dominant portion of their media time with TV on a daily basis.
• Spend Less Time on their Computers: American 18 year olds averaged 39 hours, 50 minutes online from their home computers, of which 5 hours, 26 minutes was spent streaming online video.

Four considerations in targeting teens today:

Based on this research and other key findings from recent studies on teen consumers, here are four considerations for marketers aspiring to reach teens today:

1. Speak in bullet points.
Long-winded pitches and excessive ramp-ups to your point will result in losing the ear of your target. This is the first generation of consumers that speaks in bullet points. In 256 characters or less, a text message between two teens can plan an entire weekend. In 140 characters or less, a tweet can start a riot. Get your point across as efficiently as possible without sounding gruff.

2. Don’t be “just another ad.”
Like no generation ahead of them, teens are immune to advertising and marketing clichés. This generation is the aftermath of the highly targeted and desired baby-boomer market. They think they’ve seen everything, so your marketing message is immediately scrubbed against a brittle and ruthless mental filter based simply on its inherent stench of a “marketing message.”

3. Stand Out: LOL and OMG
If your message is funny or shocking, you’re more likely to get passed around from one teen to another. Stand out from the norm.

4. Think Multi-Platform
Multi-platform marketing is important to your success. Engaging street teams, using an interactive platform, apps, and SMS text messaging, combined with a traditional marketing plan can help you to capture more “mind equity” among a scattered young audience.