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Teens Choose Reality Over Virtual Reality - Sometimes

Some 58 percent of teens sacrifice watching TV for going on dates, with web surfing (54 percent), playing videogames (47 percent), and listening to music (42 percent) taking hits as well, according to the Teen Topix survey from OTX (Online Testing eXchange) and partner eCRUSH, reports MarketingCharts.

The study surveyed 750 13-17-year-old teens across the country to about their attitudes toward socializing - to assess what’s important to them, their behaviors, and their outlook on life.

Some findings from the study:

• Teens don’t always select reality over virtual reality. When teens go out on those dates, they’re eschewing free options like cruising (53 percent) or school events (53 percent) for the marketing-laden options of movie theaters (87 percent), malls (64 percent) and restaurants (58 percent).
• When it comes to rules of dating, gender differences become clear: while 66 percent of all teens say their parents impose dating rules, only 49 percent of boys are subjected to rules, compared with 83 percent of girls.
• As to the rules of attraction, jocks, bad boys, and adventure seekers rule the hearts of today’s teens:
  • 31 percent of teens said they’re attracted to “jocks” such as Nathan on the CW’s One Tree Hill or Claire on NBC’s Heroes.
  • 30 percent of girls also prefer “bad boys” like Michael on Fox’s Prison Break.
  • 28 percent of boys like adventurous women such as Veronica on the CW’s Veronica Mars.

Future Teen Topix studies are scheduled to focus on topics such as a summer movie wrap-up, teen buzz for the new fall TV shows, and holiday shopping plans.