We have published a new study that provides a fascinating insight into the lives of young people – their media habits, sporting interests and how they discover and engage with personalities or characters they like or admire.

The study, by Sherbert Research and The Culture Studio, included a survey of 1,687 young people aged 11-17 years and reveals they are fans of an extensive group of personalities, which reflects their wide-ranging hobbies and interests.

From Cristiano Ronaldo to Luke Littler, Taylor Swift to Simone Biles, KSI to Tyson Fury, Harry Kane to Harry Styles, personalities are ever-present in their lives: the influence of social media means they feel close to them and often know a lot about them.

The research also highlighted three key attributes that make personalities appealing to young people: 

  • Inspirational – Demonstrating hard work and dedication to their craft
  • Authentic – Being perceived as genuine and relatable 
  • Good values – Considered to be positive role models
Word cloud of most mentioned celebrities in survey
Most mentioned personalities in survey.

A ‘Digital-First’ Generation 

We found that children and young people’s media lives are radically different from a generation ago – they are living a ‘digital first’ existence.  

Social media is central to their everyday life, it shapes and informs their interests, their outlooks and behaviours. And when it came to describing their own media lives, the TV set, for live viewing in the living room, is almost forgotten.  

We found that the ‘algorithm’ and what is shared by friends online appears to be most significant in terms of how they are discovering and engaging with personalities that hold ‘strong appeal’.  

Sporting Interests Among 11-17 Year Olds 

Young people demonstrated a strong and diverse interest in sports, with men’s and women’s football, swimming, and athletics ranking as the most popular. The research also highlighted: 

  • On average, young people claimed to be ‘really interested’ in four different sports - Formula 1, boxing, and basketball were particularly popular
  • Sporting interests are influenced by family and school in earlier years but increasingly shaped by friends and social media as young people grow older
  • Gender differences were evident, with 55% of boys expressing an interest in MMA/UFC compared to 29% of girls
  • Social media is a major platform for sports engagement, whether through live content or discussions around sporting events

The ASA’s Commitment to Protecting Young Audiences 

Improving our understanding of young people’s media habits helps support our work in protecting them from potential advertising related harms. Specifically, our findings help us consider how in future we should assess gambling ads and take a stricter approach to applying the gambling advertising rules.

79% of 11–17-year-olds say they take more notice of ads which include celebrities they know, even if they don’t find them personally appealing. 

Tackling irresponsible gambling ads is a priority area for the ASA and, recognising that it is an age-restricted product, our rules prohibit gambling ads from being of ‘strong appeal’ to young people, especially by reflecting youth culture.

We are now considering our findings and what they mean in terms of updated guidance for advertisers and a stricter approach in our decision making in this area. 

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