Thoughts of a 15-year-old

Matthew Robson, an intern at Morgan Stanley's London office, has lots to say about media platforms of all kinds - so much that the bank's analysts asked him to assess the habits of his friends when it comes to TV, radio, Internet, the works. The attention he has received throughout England (and the U.S.) says a lot about how clueless the media and financial worlds continue to be about what's working and what isn't. Not that soliciting this kind of input is a new idea - Fortune 500 companies pay marketing firms some serious money for their findings on the likes and dislikes of teens. But that involves many interviews and analysis (and even then it's often highly suspect). Young Robson stands out because his findings are attracting such attention- even as they seem so anecdotal and flimsy. From the FT:

His report proved to be "one of the clearest and most thought-provoking insights we have seen. So we published it," said Edward Hill-Wood, head of the team. The response was enormous. "We've had dozens and dozens of fund managers, and several CEOs, e-mailing and calling all day," said Mr Hill-Wood, 35, estimating that the note had generated five or six times more feedback than the team's usual reports. However, he made no claims for its statistical rigour.

Anyway, here's the report. Among the highlights (keep in mind these are British teens):

--Radio: Most teenagers are not regular listeners (online sites are preferred)

--TV: Viewership varies with the time of the year.

--Newspapers: Forget about it. Only papers read are tabloids and free-sheets.

--Internet: Facebook is very popular, but Twitter is not catching on (other texting services are preferred).

--Music: Teens are very reluctant to pay (most have never bought a CD).