PARENTS may be switching roles with kids, as more young ones learn to use gadgets and gizmos before adults can learn to text message.

While young brains absorb the complicated world of technology, adults are struggling to keep up.

Because media literacy is a global phenomenon, Asian parents have no choice but to throw themselves into this wave of technology.

"Media across different platforms have certainly taken hold of Asian youth in a significant way and this influence continues to grow," says managing director of Synovate Malaysia, Steve Murphy.

"In fact, 25 per cent of Asian kids admitted that they just couldn't live without the Internet while 23 per cent planned to watch more television."

The fourth annual Synovate Young Asians study looked at what's in the hearts and minds of the region's youth, revealing their media consumption, purchase habits, attitudes, favourite singers and cartoons, covering 12 markets across Asia.

The survey, released this month, included 900 respondents from Malaysia.

It found that 35 per cent had used the Internet more than a year ago, while close to a quarter had spent more time watching television.

When it came to newspaper and magazine reading, 64 per cent of respondents said they spent roughly the same amount of time on both media.

More than a quarter of young Asians set aside time and planned their schedules around their favourite television programmes, hoping to catch every episode.

But the biggest media junkies can be found in Korea (13.7 hours a day), Hong Kong (12.7 hours) and Singapore (12.6 hours).

This covers time spent on the Internet, watching television or videos, reading newspapers or magazines and listening to the radio.

"This is great news as young people are continuing to use a wide variety of media and spending a good part of the day doing so.

"Asia's young people have certainly embraced multi-tasking. Kids are watching television, but also talking on the phone.

"They are on the Internet with the radio on in the background. Or they may be sending emails, text messaging on their mobile phone and playing an online game, all at the same time."

And if Malaysian parents think they can take their time to learn a media trick or two, they are mistaken. Our kids are just as media savvy as any other Asian youth.

In fact, a shocking 45 per cent said they planned to use the Internet more over other media, including newspapers and magazines.

Less than 50 per cent of Malaysian youth said the Internet kept them up to date, and 43 per cent said that Internet gave them useful information.

When online, Murphy says, many young Malaysians are blogging.

While this may sound scary to some parents, it should motivate them to start their own blog, learning the ins and outs of the World Wide Web.

With so much time spent each day on media consumption, there is every reason to believe that brand communications have filtered through and influenced purchase decisions of kids.

"It's vital that smart marketers continue to engage with these young audiences to build a loyal consumer base.

"Almost 90 per cent of Asia's youth believe that they have the biggest say and are able to influence the purchase decisions as well as buy their own snack food, sweets, chocolates and soft drinks.

"Over two-thirds were able to influence the purchasing of toys and games, and 72 per cent of young Asians were able to influence the purchasing of clothing and apparel."

Young Thais and Koreans topped the influence scale when it came to buying skin care and grooming products while Indonesian youngsters had the biggest say on mobile phones.

Apparently, the media has also made kids more aware of global warming.

More than half of respondents said that they were concerned about climate change. Most concerned were the Filipinos, Thais, Hong Kongers and Koreans.

Malaysian kids were far less conscious about climate change. Along with kids from India and Indonesia, they were at the bottom of the scale saying that they do not believe the climate is changing. -NST