Habbo reveals the teen tribes of today
We recently conducted a global research in Habbo to find out how the tribes of today vary from the
ones from before, and how the modern day youth find them. The survey also looked into how social
networks and virtual worlds impact on how today’s tribes are formed. The survey was answered by
nearly 60,000 Habbo users from 31 countries around the world.
Subcultures, be it punk, rockers or hippies, have always played a role in teenage life. Our
research shows, that as in the past, teens still join tribes due to a love of their fashion and
music – a key part of identity and self-expression at a young age.
Social networks and virtual worlds have, however, allowed them to widen the search for groups
to belong to. Increased levels of information sharing and the ease with which teenagers can speak
to others means that they can join groups that they may not have the confidence to in the real
world.
When assessing whether to join a tribe, 57% of respondents said it was very or quite
important for them to be part of a group of people that had similar interests to them; with a
liking of the associated fashion and style (52%), and the music that is linked to them (50%),
followed by a respect of the associated philosophy in third place (19%).
The research shows that teens do not believe that new tribes are born over the years but they
are tribes from previous generations that have taken on different names, such as hippies and today’s
eco-warriors.
In teens’ minds, tribes of today are really close to current trends – especially given the
strong links to fashion and music. The tribes that teens are most familiar with today are
hip-hoppers, skaters and emos, with teddy boys, ragamuffins and nu-ravers fading into history. Most
of the teens also said, that they would feel lost in life if they couldn’t find a social group that
presented them, though a minority of the respondents also stated that they don’t identify with any
tribe.
Whilst teens may feel lost if they cannot identify a tribe that fits them in real life,
social networks and virtual worlds have vastly expanded the ways in which they can connect with
likeminded people.
71 per cent of the respondents confirmed that the Internet has made it easier for them to
find people with the same interests and tastes. Virtual worlds in particular allow a level of
anonymity with which teens can explore different interests that may not be reflected by their
social groups in the real world. As a result, 58 per cent of teens don’t feel bound to belong to
the same tribes online as they do in real-life.
Compared to time prior to computers, the online culture of today provides the youth more
freedom of choice by allowing teens to pursue interests and passions that they may not be able to
confidently share with real world friends. The fact that half of teens would feel lost without a
tribe shows their online lives can help them explore their identity on their journey into
adulthood.