MUMBAI: Nielsen//NetRatings, a global Internet audience measurement and analysis agency, has reported that more than 27 million Internet users worldwide, between the ages of two and 17, logged on to the net from home in September 2003.
A company release states that 12 million children between the age of two and 11 in the US accessed the Internet from home while 14.9 million teens aged 12-17 connected online. In September, kids between the ages of two and 17 represented 21 percent of active at-home Internet users or one out of five web surfers. Fifty-four percent of the site's audience consisted of kids.
According to the release, the survey showed that the most popular website with the two-11 age group was Diva Starz, a Mattel company site for the Diva Starz line of dolls.
Among teens, originalicons.com had the highest concentration of those aged 12-17, making up 78 per cent of its audience. originalicons.com is a popular destination for downloading instant messaging icons.
"Mattel, Disney and Teen People are doing an excellent job of attracting their target audience to brand and promote key products, which positions these companies well as we head into the holiday shopping season," Dawn Brozek, senior analyst of Nielsen//NetRatings was quoted in the press release as saying.
Nielsen//NetRatings also highlighted the US regions with the greatest concentration of Internet savvy kids. Leading the way, Salt Lake City had 255,000 Internet savvy kids, representing 25 per cent of the region's at-home Internet audience.