YOUTH MEDIA: WATCH, READ, LISTEN, SURF - What media do young people really like? Campaign’s panel of four tells all to Jenny Watts

Robbie Hunt aged 6

I think the best programme on television is Blue Peter. They’ve taught

me how to make some really interesting things and Mum and I watched the

eclipse using one of their inventions. I also watch Art Attack because I

like being creative.

It’s not surprising that I’ve seen the new Star Wars film twice because

I love going to the cinema. I’ve watched the original one seven times on

a tape I borrowed from a friend, which he hasn’t had back yet! I’m also

a fan of Disney films like Babe and A Bug’s Life because the animation

is really good.

When my friend moved to Dubai I learned how to use e-mail so we could

stay friends. I also use Mummy’s computer to play CD-Rom games like

Tonka Town and The Really Wild Show. My big brother Billy lets me play

on his Nintendo; my favourite game on that is James Bond because I get

to shoot lots of baddies.

Mum doesn’t let me buy Nintendo magazine, so the only comic strips I

read are Dennis the Menace and Action Man. My favourite books are the

Calvin and Hobbes stories and James Bond Junior. I think he’s very

cool.

I also enjoy reading the Famous Five books because I like exploring, and

would love to have adventures like theirs.

If I have time I read in bed before I go to sleep, but sometimes not for

very long because it’s a tiring job being a trainee Jedi warrior.

Gus Cook aged 12

The best programme on television is definitely The Simpsons, followed

closely by Friends and Goodness Gracious Me. I’m also a fan of

educational programmes like The Time Team, where the viewer is shown

what daily life would have been like in past cultures.

One of my hobbies is reading, and I’ve just finished Harry Potter by J.

K. Rowling, which was excellent. Sometimes I read books friends have

recommended, but often I go into bookshops with my Dad and choose from

the back covers while he’s browsing. I read Dad’s paper if something

really interests me, but I prefer special-interest titles like Mountain

Biking UK and Unity, a skating mag. I’ve swapped my Beano for The

Simpsons comic which my friends like to borrow but are slow to

return!

I’m very excited we’re getting the internet soon as I’ve been a convert

since first surfing the net in Dad’s office a year ago. Sometimes I use

it for school research, but mainly I use it for fun. I tend to hear of

sites from friends and magazines like The Net or Nintendo. My favourite

is the Toronto Maple Leaves site, and I think it’s brilliant that I can

instantly access their latest scores from the other side of the

world.

I’m hoping we’ll have e-mail on the new computer so I can mail all my

friends - especially the one in America.

My favourite ad is for Castlemaine XXXX. It’s funny that the guy can

kiss his best friend’s girlfriend but not drink his beer!

I use CD-Roms to play games like Motorcross Madness, and we also have

educational ones like History of the World, though none of my friends

seem to be lining up to borrow that one!

Louisa Smith aged 16

Having spent the past few months studying furiously for my GCSEs, I’ve

come to appreciate Paramount Comedy for feeding me a constant diet of

Friends and Frasier. As far as I’m concerned, there’s nothing better

than a good comedy to wash down the monotony of the history books. I’m

glad we have cable because I watch a lot of MTV, but I always tune in to

EastEnders on BBC1 to find out the latest in Albert Square.

Notting Hill was the last film I saw, and I thought it was

excellent.

I go to the cinema with friends quite regularly, and I’m far more likely

to be found laughing at a comedy than watching big-bucks action

films.

Reading is one of my favourite pastimes and I often go on

recommendations, which is how I heard of Bridget Jones’s Diary and

Angela’s Ashes. I don’t have a favourite magazine as such, although I

read Mum’s Red and The Guardian if it’s lying around the house.

I know many people think the internet is indispensable, but frankly I’ve

been doing very well without it. It’s much faster to rifle through

research books than spend hours trawling the web for specific

information. I do use e-mail to contact my cousins in Ireland because

it’s so much faster than snail mail.

I’m quite responsive to advertising, and always take notice of press and

poster ads. My favourite campaigns have all come from Levi’s - Flat Eric

is no exception. Sponsorship is lost on me though; I went to Capital

FM’s Party in the Park this year, but I don’t think I could name a

single sponsor.

Emma Logan aged 22

I’m a self-confessed product of the channel-hopping generation. I like

MTV and the movie channels, and I never miss The Simpsons or

EastEnders.

For pure escapism, the characters on talk shows are priceless. I prefer

BBC2 and Channel 4 for their documentaries and arts programmes, rather

than the more drama-based BBC1 and ITV.

I only listen to the radio when it’s a background noise at work, and

even then it’s irritating because I can’t change channel to get rid of

all the ads.

My favourite ad campaign is for the Gap. I think the upbeat music has

given the label a real image revamp. The French Connection campaign is

equally good - stylish and simple, but effective.

I find the plethora of women’s magazines irritating - they all recycle

the same tired articles about glamour and beauty. I’d rather see more

feature-driven magazines like Sky and The Face. The only magazine I buy

regularly is Time Out, and I delve into the review sections of The

Sunday Telegraph and The Sunday Times at the weekend.

I don’t spend much time on the net, but if I had a computer I’d probably

be surfing constantly. I don’t use cybercafes as I can’t see the point

of e-mailing my friends when I’ve got a mobile phone.

Although I like music, sponsorship posters and fliers have never quite

enticed me to go and splash in the mud at Glastonbury. I do pick up

promo postcards in bars and at the cinema, but the interest is fleeting

and I’ve never responded.

I probably watch around three hours of television a night. Being nosy, I

like looking into other people’s lives, if only to think ’Mine is

certainly better than theirs!’.

This article was first published on Campaign