By 2020, the average age of an individual in India will be 29 years, making it the youngest country in the world.

Keeping this in mind, marketers, broadcasters and researchers are trying their best to understand what does the youth want? What aspires them, what holds significance in their life…There are millions of things running on their head and it doesn’t take them much to change their minds. 

The dynamic, confident and always connected Millennials speak a different language. A dialect understood by their peers and researched by marketers and others. In a bid to do just that, Viacom’s  youth channel MTV partnered with Third Eye Qualitative Researchers  and conversed with more than 11,000 young people across 40 plus cities in the country to find out what exactly  makes them tick.

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The study, MTV Curious Minds, throws light at various insights into the generation which likes to live it large. And this is not driven from the fear of missing out or by urgency that comes from having only one life, but it comes from the innate necessity to stay curious and curate.

Gone are the days when bumping into a stranger and starting a conversation needed courage; today they are open to new experiences and explorations. They might be called fickle minded but the generation has its head far more on its shoulders than we give them credit for.

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Currently, they are all busy planning their career. For them, it’s not about just making a living; it is about living life with a sense of purpose. Hardworking, open-minded, happy and confident are the four primary values that define this generation.

Digital OD

Born with the technology gene, the youngsters have grown up on multiple screens. In the age of social media, where one can be followed, liked or favourited, nobody is a ‘nobody’ anymore. Technology has changed the lifestyle, beliefs and outlook of the young. It has removed the barriers of social status and geographic locations.

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With everything happening with just a click of a button or the swipe of a finger, the youth navigate their lives smoothly intertwining the diverse elements of the internet, personal screens, apps etc. Three out of every four youth check details of a product online, if the advertising interests them.

They agree that the app-ification will only intensify and grow with passing years; 86 per cent believe app usage will be much higher in year 2020.

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Hope the advertisers are paying heed.

The channel surely is listening to what the youngsters want, online. Name it and the channel is present on every social platform. From Facebook to Pinterest, it makes and promotes shows that trigger conversations on the internet including MTV Webbed and Coke Studio as well as web exclusive shows.

MTV India claims that its biggest achievement has been that it was recognised as a channel which talks back and cares for the audience. In an earlier interaction with indiantelevision.com MTV India digital head Ekalavya Bhattacharya had said, “One cannot talk or give feedback to a TV set but the TG can talk to it via the social networks. We often tailor our on-air content based on the online commentary.”

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Social networking is not new, but what’s interesting is the new ways in which it is now being used. Smaller platforms that became fads are actually platforms of self-expression that are created on small and more niche circles. Then there are other networking apps that let them stay connected 24/7.

However, youngsters know it’s important to be safe and share discreetly. And yet, they cannot refuse the thrill of exploring the unknown on the internet. 83 per cent believe that social media can go terribly wrong if not handled properly. They are aware of dangers like cyber bullying, hacking, email spam, social network stalking etc. 

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No one is complaining about the digital OD.

Entertainment, everywhere

Entertainment is everywhere, 24/7, 365 days of a year, so there is no forgiveness for being bored or being bored. Friends and music are the most important elements for entertainment. They create and explore new trends as well as drive the nails into the coffin of all things outdated and boring.

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College, school or work takes up majority of their time, closely followed by family time even as the internet as the all day companion.

When it comes to television, shows are a kind of a cultural graph. They can speak of trends and the language of these shows can quickly seep into the youth lexicon. The impact of TV on the lives of the young goes well beyond just latching on to the lingo and style statements beamed via the small screen. It’s clear that the youth picks up cues for life, bro-codes, friendship rituals and sometimes even a philosophy or an attitude from TV. The connect with TV content is something they carry into their social spaces, in the form of online and offline comments and discussions with their circles.

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For today’s youth, watching TV is far from from being a passive, one-dimensional exercise. Comfortable as they are being on multiple platforms simultaneously, it is common to see them reacting live and instantaneously to TV content, as it unfolds, via Twitter or FB or even WhatsApp groups.

Also, the young don’t mind paying for the content if it provides them with flexibility in access and the choice to consume content.

They want different genres and content that catches their fancy. The channel recently launched its first fiction supernatural drama Fanaa- An Impossible Love Story.

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In real life, though youngsters might resist commitment, they are exploring relationships. They romanticise the idea of eternal and true love. Building on these findings, MTV decided to come up with a unique story of teen love featuring vampires and werewolves.

MTV Insights Studio through the study aims to learn from the students and in the same bid try to give them what they want.

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Times are changing and to survive in the highly volatile environment, knowing the mindset of the TG is sacrosanct.