Romance isn’t dead; it’s online say teens
To celebrate Valentine’s Day last week we did an extensive global poll in Habbo already a few
weeks back. The subject was very popular among our users, as over 128,000 teenagers across the
globe answered the survey. Here are some interesting results from this “flirting survey”:
Basically what we found out was that technology is helping teenagers hone their flirting
habits. In fact, 64% of the respondents feel that technology has made it easier for young people to
flirt with each other.
According to 76% of teens surveyed romance is still alive and well in today’s digital age,
however the advent of the internet means exchanging glances at the school dance is not the only way
to get the object of your desire’s attention.
Teens haven’t dismissed ‘old fashioned’ forms of communication, with 44% preferring to flirt
face-to-face. However, instant messaging, social networks and virtual worlds (16% in total) are
other ways teens are using to reach out to those they have a crush on. Teens are sticking with
traditional gender roles, as 50% of all respondents believed that boys should make the first move –
however 37% don’t think it matters which gender takes the plunge.
Dating and relationships are a hot topic amongst today’s teens with 60% rating them as
important conversation topics amongst their circle of friends. This is not surprising considering
75% of teens say they have had at least one real-life romance, whilst 11% claim to have been in
over ten relationships. Over 50% of teens say they started dating before they were twelve, and true
to their digital native ways, 70% have had at least one online boyfriend or girlfriend.
The 128,826 teens participating in the January 2009 Habbo survey came from 33 countries
spread across 6 continents.