"Home sweet home" tops teens' Christmas lists this year

December 13, 2005; 07:56 AM

London - 13 December 2005 - Contrary to the stereotype that relatives are the last people teens would like to with spend time with, recent research by www.maddogmobile.com has found that for many 13-19 year-olds, time with the family over Christmas is a top priority. A surprising nearly one in two (45%) said the one thing they'd really like to do on Christmas day is spend time with their family, with only one in five choosing their friends. And in fact, faced with the prospect of waking up on Christmas day to find themselves "Home Alone," one in four teens' first thought would be to find their family instead of watching TV programmes banned by their parents (6%).

But, as you might expect, although time with family is key for a lot of teens, it is still on their own terms.  The things they don't want to do are:
. Help mum and dad out with the chores (27%)
. Spend time with relatives they don't like (16%)
. Play charades and other games (10%)
. Go to a neighbour's party (5%)
Watching the Queen's Speech is at the bottom of most teens' lists, with 42 percent saying it is the last thing they want to be doing on Christmas Day.  However, with only three percent saying they will have to tune in at 3 pm it appears the Queen's address to the nation won't be high on the list of most families this year.

This Christmas could prove very expensive for parents if teens get their own way.  The Mad Dog Mobile research reveals that for 40 percent of 13-19 year-olds, an iPod is the present they most want in their stocking this year.  At a recommended retail price of £179.00 for the 4GB iPod nano, parents can be forgiven for harking back to "the good old days" when teens were happy with books or CDs.  Other presents teens are pestering their parents for this year are mobile phones (23%), PSPs (11%) and PCs (6%).

"It's no surprise that teens are asking parents for expensive, flashy gifts to feed their multi-tasking electronic lifestyle," stated Rob Ellis, spokesperson for Mad Dog Mobile. "On Mad Dog Mobile, teens don't think twice about uploading photos from their phones, downloading games or chatting with people around the world.  That being said, it's a pleasant surprise that so many teens want to spend time with their family at Christmas." 

If New Year's resolutions are any indicator of trends for 2006, you'll find nearly 30 percent of teens will be 'getting fit or leading healthier lifestyles' - although only just over three percent indicated
that they wanted sports equipment as a gift.  A quarter of teens surveyed also said they would 'study harder' in the year ahead.

Mad Dog Mobile (www.maddogmobile.com) is a great new website where teens can meet new friends, play games, participate in competitions and earn points for free mobile content and other cool stuff.  The Mad Dog Mobile site is a 'scam-free' zone with no hidden costs or catches.  It is also built to comply with Home Office guidelines on child protection on the Internet.

Research methodology
The research was conducted by Mad Dog Mobile through the online community on their website. It polled 640 teenagers aged 13-19.

About Mad Dog Mobile
Mad Dog Mobile (www.maddogmobile.com) has been designed to provide a safe place for teens on the Internet.  The site was built to comply with the good practice models of the Home Office task force on child protection on the Internet.  Safety features include:

. Safety Information:
Mad Dog Mobile provides safety advice in teen-friendly language at the point of sign-up and on a special safety page, along with frequent reminders throughout the site. In addition to this, there is a link from the chatroom to the Home Office's advice site, www.thinkuknow.co.uk, and a constantly scrolling safety banner.

. Dodgy Button:
If users are unhappy about anything that has been said in a chatroom or posted on the site, they can hit the 'dodgy button' and inform a moderator immediately. This feature will be available in all the areas where users interact.

. 24/7 Professional Monitoring:
The chatrooms, groups and areas where users post information are professionally supervised around-the-clock. Text is screened and inappropriate content is removed.

. Parents' Page:
Parental information is easy to find on the site and is clear and thorough. Feedback is welcomed from parents, and Mad Dog Mobile actively seeks their support and participation.

. No Hidden Costs, No Hidden Catches
All the mobile content can be redeemed with 'bones', the rewards points members earn when on the site.  If a member would like to purchase content, it is sold as reasonably priced one-off payment items. There's no small print and users aren't coerced into subscriptions or repeat purchases.  The site complies with the ICSTIS Code (the UK's premium rate regulator) and Amplefuture is registered with the Information Commissioner and fully compliant with data protection laws.

Mad Dog Mobile is owned by Amplefuture, a leading provider of integrated consumer interactivity solutions. www.amplefuture.com