Summary
1. This generation of teenagers will spend more time on computers and cell phones that they will watching TV.
2. TV is passive. People want communities.
Analysis
I love technology as much as the next geek, but I have two teenagers and they only watch TV when they are bored. But they are constantly on their PC doing myspace or have 5 windows open with instant messaging (I do not know how they keep track of who is in which window -- It is a generational thing). They want interaction with others, not passive shows. How good is a soap opera when you compare that to gossiping with your friends (all six of them that you are connected on IM to)? Admit it, you would rather spend time at the water cooler than watching a soap opera. The same is true with the teenagers (and preteens). They would rather hang out with friends and they actually call it hanging out when they are online together.
Even my eleven year-old son has another family. His other family is in "second-life". They are probably more interesting that his real family (to my horror). His second life family is made up of friends his own age on second life. His second life family does not do homework. But they have their own social structure. I overheard them talking on the way to school about one of them declaring himself "king". They never talk about a TV show with that much excitement. My son build a replica of the titanic in second life complete with three classes of service and no icebergs. he would much rather do that than watch the Titanic movie.
The truth is I would much rather build my own "broadcast" by building my own library of Podcasts. If I want a sermon to listen to, then give me a podcast from one of a 100 churches or zen masters. Or let me listen to the Stanford Entrepreneur forum or many of the UC Berkeley Podcasts. Even a 50+ person like myself can build a four hour set of choices that rivals NPR. Imagine what a 20 year-old can do who doesn't feel locked in by information controlled by tv syndication. Having mobile TV is like have drive up tellers at banks compared to having ATM's all over the world.
So, who needs mobile TV anyway. Give me a mobile network access in my car and let me chose my application. Mobile TV is just an application and not a very good one anyway. Maybe I can watch all the TV programs I recorded on TIVO but have not had the time to watch. But I would much rather chat with my friends or build a family library of cool talk shows to discuss as a family. Or listen to a good book. It is much more stimulating than Mobile TV.
