Internet and the mobile phone have changed the lifestyle of ’s young generation, confirmed a research done by Synovate. Out of the 18 million Internet users in , 40% are between the age of 20 to 24. This is the young generation that Dentsu Strategic Planner, Janoe Arijanto calls: the “look at me” generation, reports the Kompas daily of 7 November. Young people today want to look different, and they can adapt themselves very fast to the rapid advance in technology. 

Internet favourites for the Indonesian youths are the on-line games, Avatar, Friendster, Myspace and blog. And, on account of the information technology, Indonesian youths are now quickly catching up with young people anywhere in the world. Yanti Sugarda, Managing Director of the Polling Center , confirms this further, adding that the young love fashion, entertainment, and use the internet to access information. IT has made young people worldwide to think alike. This is also true of businessmen and young executives here, whose ways of communicating and working are becoming more and more similar worldwide.

According to Synovate, there are 322 million internet users in Asia today. 

While Synovate further predicts that in the year 2010, half or 50% of all mobile phone users worldwide live in the Asia Pacific region, with having the largest share in cell phone users at 400 million. There are at present 37 million mobile phone users in , and this number is expected to grow to 60 million in 2010.  Around 65% of cell phone users are among the urban population, with the largest percentage users of the young generation.  For to the youth, a mobile phone is not just a tool for communication. A cell phone is a statement of lifestyle and an entertainment center. 

The article in Kompas was written ahead of the Asia Pacific Media Forum 2006, to be held in Bali from 16-19 November. 

On the subject of Television viewership, the report further states that according to Nielsen, ratings for top programs in are declining every year. This means that advertisers must spend more dollars to reach the same number of consumers. Although, according to a study made by Roy Morgan, despite the fact that viewership of all TV programs continues to increase, - with the exception of  TVRI, - yet, Television’s effectiveness as a media for advertising is now declining  since viewers use the remote control as their weapon to switch channels during ad breaks, and enjoy programs of other stations. 

The rapidly changing urban lifestyle is also impacting on the effectiveness of the advertising media used, says Yusca Ismail, CEO and General Manager Perwanal Saatchi & Saatchi. The home, that used to be the center where the family enjoys programs together, is now competing with shopping malls and restaurants, where families now spend more time together for relaxation and recreation. People’s tastes also vary widely, ranging from those who enjoy reading Karl Marx, to the Kamasutra, or to the Da Vinci Code, or listening to religious lectures by Aa Gym. 

Consequently, as the Indonesian public becomes more fragmented in their particular interests, and in order to attract attention of the public to their products, advertisers must not only increase the number of placements of ads but they must also improve the quality of ads so as to be able to stand out among the clutter.    
(Source: Kompas 7/11/2006)
(Tuti Sunario)