Are data-savvy teens the first generation to get the Internet of Me?

The instinctive digital literacy of today’s teenagers is making them the most connected and aware generation yet of the power and value of their personal data.

The latest Realtime Generation report found that the life of today’s UK teen is largely mobile and spent online, with 93% owning a smartphone and spending up to nine hours a day on the web consuming, publishing or creating content.

As consumers, the survey of 1,000 13-17 year olds found that the teens were alive to the commercial value of their personal data, willing to exchange information if it results in a better service or deal. 42% would even opt to take £15 for sharing it over earning cash from a job, while 48% are already storing personal data online.

Three in four also engage with brands online as part of their shopping ritual in the hope of seeking a better deal.

In terms of trust, a substantial 44% trust UK Government with personal data, in exchange for better services. At 25%, social media platforms are the least trusted while 38% trust brands and 37% trust service providers.

This is all heartening to us here at digi.me, who believe firmly the move to an Internet of Me with each of us at the centre of our own connected lives and in control of our data is the next technological revolution, and the only way of solving the current escalating war between ad blockers and ad tech companies.

That the upcoming generation already sees the sense and potential of our founding vision will help this step change to a new way of personal data control and sharing, with digi.me as the base layer, evolve faster with more weight behind it.

Our Permissioned Access model, coming in later this year, will work on just this principle – the sharing of data, with consent, in return for personalised benefits or rewards.

The survey also found that these teens are tech-savvy, with 43% already coding or wanting to learn.So this generation not only knows what they want, they’re going to be able to build the tools to get there if they don’t exist already.

Report author Gerry Carroll said: “This generation is busy developing the skills it needs for careers that don’t yet exist.

“The next decade will see an influx of employees whose capabilities will be light years ahead from our existing expectations of ‘ICT skills’.

“Able to create, build or knowledgeably commission the IT they want, today’s teenagers are a future workforce with the potential to enable and transform the UK’s digital economy.”

So the future is very bright and very promising!