How Millennials and Teens Consume Mobile Video

Technology and services available for mobile video have evolved since previous studies were conducted. A majority of teens now have mobile phones and there is an increase in younger users watching video through paid subscriptions. We set out to describe the scenarios in which Millennials and teens view mobile video, their motivations, and how they access video. Twenty-four participants completed diary entries over a five-day period. Nine of these participants also took part in individual interviews that followed. Our findings describe the scenarios and motivations in detail and highlight two main findings. 1) Several mood and emotional states, beyond boredom and killing time, lead to viewing mobile video. 2) When accessing video, choices are made based on desired level of engagement, stimulation, and length. This study provides information that can be used to inform mobile video experiences and proposes opportunities for future research.