Back-to-school season is in full swing! To help students and parents prepare for the new school year, we sent out a study to 100 current college students across the country asked them randomized questions about their shopping behavior and social media habits.
Key findings include:
Social Media Trends
Based on our findings, men and women have far different social media habits. Facebook was the top choice as expected, but women much preferred Snapchat, Instagram, and Pinterest, all photo-centric platforms. Snapchat had the greatest separation from men’s preferences, with nearly 20% more use, suggesting that women are more concerned about their privacy when online.
Google Plus showed a surprisingly high use among men, capturing third place. Google plus has provided a lot of questionable use data so our report may indicate a new trend among college students specifically.
Figure 1
MEN WOMEN
College Dating Trends
Our data suggests that college hookups aren’t as wide-spread as many in the media want us to believe. We report only about 50% have had a ‘hook up’ which is in line with a recent study by the American Sociological Association that found just under one-third have had more than one partner in the past year. In terms of online dating, only about 18% have had a relationship with someone that met online. This could be through Facebook or more dedicated dating sites such as Match.com, Zoosk.com, and eHarmony, but the data isn’t a surprise as students typically have much larger social circles of peers and classmates which makes the need for online dating less of a factor.
Figure 2
Spending & Savings Trends
One clear trend from our survey showed that 85% of students used promo codes when shopping online. This is nearly double what the US general population is using at only 48% according to a recent study conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs on behalf of Offers.com.
In addition to promo codes, our polled asked various activities students did to save or earn money. The top responses were that they worked a part-time job or asked for money from their parents. Renting and downloading textbooks, as places such as Kno.com, Textbooks.com, Amazon.com, came in third with nearly 50% of students doing it. Our poll also showed that the average credit card debt was $1,450 and men generally had 27% more than women.
Figure 3
Trends on Recent News Topics
There have been a number of major topics in the news this year about the NSA and texting-while-driving so we asked students about these areas. 63% of students DID NOT support the NSA’s data collection methods for anti-terrorism programs. While it wasn’t a sweaping majority, it still shows a clear indication of general preference. 44% claimed to text while driving which may have come as a surprise to some that it wasn’t higher.
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Be sure to read our “Top 10 Must Have items for College Students” and for the latest coupons for back-to-school shopping at retailers such as eCampus, Skyo and more go to http://www.bluepromocode.com.
About BluePromoCode.com
BluePromoCode, based on Los Angeles, is a leading coupon search engine used by millions of consumers to help them save the most money on their purchases. The website partners with 12,000 retailers to bring over 100,000 coupons to its users and its editors hand-check coupon codes to ensure the highest quality ones rise to the top. BluePromoCode also offers personalized emails so members can receive the best deals for the brands they love directly in their inbox. Learn more at bluepromocode.com.
Survey Methodology
In August 2013, Zipfworks commissioned a study to analyze consumer trends and shopping behavior for weddings. Zipfworks surveyed 100 U.S.-based consumers who are currently enrolled in college for a quantitative study with SurveyMonkey. Questions were randomized and related to their specific spending and interest habits while in school. Participants were provided non-cash incentives for their participation.
Bluepromocode.com is a registered domain of Zipfworks LLC. All other domains, names and trademarks mentioned herein are property of their respective owners.
