Teen Girls: Influence, Involvement and Empowerment
In 2010, teen girls give “girl power” a whole new meaning. Girls today are social connectors empowered by technology, and they and beat out their male counterparts when it comes to
“connecting” online. Additionally, teenage girls are more involved than ever in their communities and value leadership more than simply being “trendy.”
To find out more about this powerful demographic, Varsity Brands commissioned an online study of 1,016 teen girls ages 13-18 to represent the roughly 14 million teen girls across the United States. We asked them about how they spend their time, how they communicate with friends, what social causes get their attention, how they interact with brands, and much more.
This white paper shares the insights our research uncovered and, particularly, looks at how teen girls’ involvement in various activities impacts the way they view themselves and the way others view them.
The survey was developed by Varsity Brands and the Ketchum Global Research Network (KGRN). The survey was administered online by M/A/R/C Research July 15 - 21, 2010. The total sample has been weighted to be
representative of the U.S. population in terms of age, ethnicity, prevalence of cheerleaders and influencers. The margin of error for this total sample is +/- 3% at the 95% confidence level.
Teen Girls vs. Teen Boys
Move over Justin Bieber—the most influential teen girls today wield more influence than their teenage boy counterparts. These girls are more likely to be influencers than boys are because they seek out information from a wider range of sources and share that information more frequently, using a mix of social media and face-to-face interaction.
Girls Lead the Pack
“Influencers” lead the way in public opinion. They do this by putting themselves in a position to both receive and share information—and they do not mind telling you what they think.
Considering the reputation teen girls have for texting and talking, it makes sense that when it comes to spreading ideas via social media they lead the pack. In fact, 84 percent of teen girls today say that they speak their minds.
iWhen it comes to how teen girls communicate with one another, the popular notion in recent
years has been that text messaging rules, and a report from the Pew Internet & American Life
Project confirms that girls text, on average, 2,400 messages per month.
iiTexting ensures that
girls never have to be silenced and that they always have an outlet for expressing themselves,
Express Yourself: Girls as “Over Sharers” Online
While teen boys and girls spend roughly the same amount of time online, teen girls are more likely to use that time for connecting, self-expression and relationship building. About one-third of teen girls and boys typically access the Internet two to four times per day, but when asked what activities they have done in the past 30 days, girls are more likely to have used e-mail (79 percent vs. 63 percent) and are almost twice as likely to have shared photos through a website, posted a comment on a blog or community, blogged themselves or kept an online journal.
iiiIn contrast, boys use their time online primarily to find gaming tips and to seek out sports information.
Girls’ usage of newer social media site Twitter is also gaining traction, with a third of teen girls adding the site to their list of top social media outlets like YouTube and Facebook.
Girls as Brand Evangelists
Teen girls also generally show more brand loyalty and make more purchases than teen boys.
According to MRI research, girls are more likely to consistently buy the same brand of cosmetic products like toothpaste, shampoo, deodorant and hair styling products. They are also more likely to buy the same brand of clothing—for example, 40 percent of teen girls buy the same brand of jeans three times in a row, while only 29 percent of teen boys buy the same brand.
ivTeen girls also are vocal about these purchases within their social circles. In fact, nearly 9 out of 10 teen girls say they enjoy sharing recommendations with their friends, and the majority feels their opinions greatly influence the decisions of their friends. Teen girls have a passion for fashion and share their opinions often. When it comes to style, 79 percent make
recommendations, and 66 percent make recommendations related to makeup. They also are
highly engaged in media content and about 70 percent share their opinions on movies, books
and music. These numbers are higher than those for the average adult consumer and are
certainly higher than those for teen boys, showing that girls today are active enthusiasts who
speak up.
vLeadership and Involvement
Girls experience an interesting dichotomy when it comes to identity during their teen years.
They struggle between two poles—wanting to stand out versus wanting to blend in.
Involvement in team activities like athletics, volunteering and academic clubs is extremely high.
Ninety-three (93) percent of teen girls participate in one or more activities at school, most likely because it helps them achieve both goals simultaneously—allowing them to stand out as a
group.Girls Rule the Leadership Board
The idea of leadership is critical to this audience. Nearly half of teen girls hold some type of leadership position in or out of school and almost three quarters feel people look to them as a leader. Interestingly, being a leader resonates with teen girls more than being trendy—47 percent more teen girls identify themselves as leaders versus trendsetters.
Teen Girls are Good Sports
Over the past two to three decades—driven by increased opportunities—teen girls have embraced being active more and more, and athletics are the leading activity teen girls participate in at school. Today 65 percent of high school girls participate in a school sport. The top 10 most popular include track and field, soccer, tennis, basketball, volleyball, softball, cross country, swimming, cheerleading and dance team.
In addition to helping them keep fit, participation in athletics gives teen girls a wide variety of interpersonal benefits. Through athletics, teen girls learn to enjoy healthy competition. Four out of five female athletes
experience the “thrill of competition” from joining a school sport or spirit team. Participating in athletics also helps teen girls make new friends (86 percent) and gives them a built-in support
Among Athletes
Soccer 33%
Track and Field 27%
Tennis 25%
Basketball 25%
Volleyball 23%
Softball/Baseball 15%
Cross Country 14%
Swimming/Diving 13%
Cheerleading 12%
Dance team 12%
Lacrosse 6%
Field Hockey 3%
system (65 percent). Half of female athletes feel that their participation in a sport or spirit team raises their profile at school.
Though the interpersonal aspects of organized athletics cannot be overlooked, the internal benefits are just as powerful. A huge majority of female teen athletes say that playing some type of sport/spirit team generally makes them happier (78 percent), builds their overall confidence (73 percent) and helps to relieve stress (69 percent). Girls are not just making friends – they are utilizing sports to grow their coping skills and improve their temperament and self-perception. Team athletics, such as soccer, cross country and cheerleading, give teen girls a social outlet, a confidence boost and a stress reliever.
Community and Giving Back
For teen girls the broader community is one more touch point where they connect and
contribute their talent and energy. Teen girls are about twice as likely as teen boys to belong to a volunteer group, with roughly 65 percent of teen girls having volunteered in the past 12 months. Teen girls are more inclined to want to give back in the future, too – 48 percent say they want to volunteer and give back, compared to just 32 percent of boys.
viMapping the Path of Influence
Teen girls know they are influencers—in fact, 53 percent of teen girls believe their opinions greatly influence their friends’ purchase decisions—and they are spot on. Teen girls report that their friends’ opinions and actions are the No. 1 reasons they will make a purchase. Nearly two- thirds of teen girls (64 percent) say that if a friend wears something they like, they will likely buy something similar but not exactly the same—another example of the push and pull teens feel to both blend in and stand out.
Teen Girls Pass Influence in Circles
So … if teen girls are being influenced by their friends, who influences those friends?
Interestingly, 77 percent of teen girl influencers say they are influenced by purchases of their friends – who are presumably largely other teen girls – and 71 percent say online posts influence them. This indicates a two-way influence dynamic: Those who are more likely to influence others also are more likely to be influenced by others.
Getting the 411: Sources of Information
After their friends, fashion magazines (68 percent), advertisements (58 percent), and company websites (44 percent) serve as teen girls’ primary source of information and ideas about products and brands. But while ads and company websites emerge as key sources of
information, teen girls do not view them as major influencers. Only 19 percent say ads are “very
influential” in their decisions to buy clothing or footwear, and just 21 percent say websites are.
More teen girls find consumer reviews to be influential (23 percent), but not nearly as much so as fashion magazines (32 percent) and friends or peers (45 percent). While celebrities have traditionally influenced pop culture among teens, only 14 percent of teen girls cited celebrities as being influential in their purchasing decisions. However, it is important to note fashion magazines are largely dictated by celebrity style and trends.
When Influence Goes Wrong
Unfortunately, teen girls also use their influence and social media aptitude to spread negative ideas about others. Cyber-bullying has emerged as a serious problem, with all-too-frequent news reports of teens being victimized online. More than 7 in 10 teens ages 12 to 17 have been victimized by some version of cyber-bullying in varying degrees. Sadly, when it happens,
normally communicative teen girls are not talking about it nearly enough. Girls between the ages of 12 and 14 are the least likely among all age groups to tell anyone when they are the target of a cyber-bully.
viiAlthough roughly half of teen girls have advocated to their friends against cyber bullying, just 15 percent of teen girls have posted anything online to express their opposition to it.
Identity & Empowerment
Good News: Girls Feel Good
Interestingly, the No. 1 attribute today’s teen girls attribute to themselves is intelligence. And when asked to identify themselves with a list of attributes, teen girls generally revealed positive self-perceptions. More than 70 percent consider themselves smart, 42 percent say they are well-liked and 29 percent say they are creative.
The “In” Crowd May Be Out
For the majority of girls, these positive traits do not seem to translate into self-confidence. Only 17 percent of teen girls see themselves as confident, and even lower numbers see themselves as attractive (14 percent) and popular (4 percent). However, 77 percent say they are
comfortable in their own skin and are not interested in changing, suggesting an important paradigm shift among American high-school girls: Being smart, well-liked, creative or athletic is now more important than simply being popular. Teen girls are actually less likely than boys to agree that being a part of the popular crowd is important to them (28 percent of girls versus 38 percent of boys).
viiiGirls are Stressed and Stretched
Teen girls readily admit to having more stressors than teen boys – they are almost three times
more likely to say they feel stressed out “all the time.” Juggling too many responsibilities, not
getting enough sleep, maintaining relationships with friends and worrying about their weight,
body image and overall appearance rank highest.
ixInterestingly, teen girls are most concerned with issues that have an immediate impact on them, such as getting into college. They have a great deal of anxiety about money, indicating that recent economic conditions may factor into teen concerns. This audience worries about paying for college (71 percent) and finding a job (58 percent), more so than issues like teen pregnancy (41 percent) or date rape (29 percent).
Conclusions and Implications
Teen girls are almost 14 million strong in the U.S. and have emerged as a powerful
demographic. If all teen girls had been eligible to vote in the last two presidential elections, their demographic could have changed the election of the president. Here are some tips to engage this influential group authentically and make sure they are on the side of your brand or your organization:
• Teen girls speak up, so listen: Teen girls are a highly opinionated group with multiple channels to assert their opinions and influence their friends. They are talking, so listen carefully for insights, opinions and ways to do things better.
• Tap their passion points: From engagement in athletics and volunteering to fashion, style and social media, teen girls are a passionate bunch. To connect with them authentically support the activities they identify with and love most.
• Rule the confidence boost: Although teen girls identify themselves with positive attributes, they do not believe the rest of the world always sees them in the same way.
Connect with them by providing ways to boost their self-esteem and providing positive reinforcement for the good work they do.
• Remember word-of-girl is the new word-of-mouth: Teen girls are more open to
receiving information, and they spread ideas more quickly than their male counterparts.
To make sure your brand is at the center of the teen conversation, engage teen girls and
let them help lead your movement.
i Gfk MRI Teen Mark 2009.
ii Pew Internet and American Life Project. Teens and Mobile Phones. 20 April 2010. Lenhart, Amanda, and Rich Ling, Scott Campbell and Kristen Purcell. http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/Teens-and-Mobile-Phones.aspx Retrieved September 1, 2010.
iii Gfk MRI Teen Mark 2009.
iv Gfk MRI Teen Mark 2009.
v Gfk MRI Teen Mark 2009.
vi Gfk MRI Teen Mark 2009.
vii “Extending the School Grounds? – Bullying Experiences in Cyberspace,” Journal of School Health, September 2008, Vol. 78, No. 9, Jaana Juvonen, Study author. Retrieved from Youth Markets Alert. 1 December 2008.
viii Gfk MRI Teen Mark 2009.
ix Gfk MRI Teen Mark 2009.
