We’re not sure we believe it, but a new study by the NPD Group claims that purchasing music from Apple’s iTunes Store is more popular with tweens (kids 9-to 14) than "illegally"  downloading music. The report says 70% of tweens now use legal services with iTunes grabbing 49%, Limewire still commands 26% and MySpace is used by 16%.

Its hard to explain or even imagine this shift particularly in with pre-credit card crowd. Are these tweens telling the truth on the survey or is it that their college age brothers and sisters just haven’t introduced them to the finer points of Pirate Bay and BitTorrent yet?

Comment

The study found that 20 percent of tweens have used text messaging and 21 percent have used ring and answer tones. Text messaging and ringtones remain the most popular non-voice functions on the phone. Other popular content includes downloaded wallpapers, music, games and Internet.

Nielsen found that 5 percent of tweens access the Internet on their mobile each month. Forty-one percent say they do so while traveling (to school, for example) Twenty-six percent of tween mobile users access the Web while at a friend’s house and 17 percent said they did the same at social events.

Tween mobile users are also using their phones for in-home entertainment. Fifty-eight percent who download or watch TV on their phone do so at home. Sixty-four percent download or play music on their phone at home and 56 percent access the Internet from home.

"Tweens use their mobile phones, and media in general, in very unique and important ways," said Jeff Herrmann, VP of Mobile Media for Nielsen Mobile. "Marketers and media executives need to understand these ‘digital natives’ as they mature and reshape the way we all think about new and traditional media."

The report found that 48 percent of U.S. tweens spend less than one hour per day online. When they are online, 70 percent of tweens use the Internet for gaming. In comparison 81 percent of U.S. teens say they spend one hour or more per day online, with email being the most common activity for this age group.

"In addition to the differences between adult and youth media consumers, there’s an important gap between the media behaviors of teens and tweens," said Herrmann. "This report, which includes insights from more than 5,500 teens and tweens, dissects how these demographic segments are engaging with mobile and traditional media."

Visitors to the site can create an avatar or an E-Me, as Sears calls it and choose from a selection of apparel and save what they have picked out in a closet. Users can print the E-Me and closet and bring a copy into the store to receive a 10 percent discount on those items.

"The Sears E-Me is all about making back-to-school shopping easier for mom and a lot more fun for kids," said Paul Miller, senior vice president of direct commerce for Sears Holdings.

"The site also shows moms and kids that Sears has great looks for back-to-school, from The Cheetah Girls exclusive line and colorful camo skorts to hot jean looks and hoodies."

The program was created with myvirtualmodel.com and meez.com.

Other features of the site include an E-Me Fashion show, where kids can submit their E-ME outfits to be rated by other users, a number of interactive backdrops allow E-Mes to dance flip burgers and more. An E-ME and closet can be saved from session to session and no personal information is required from users.

Sears says they plan to add games and other interactive elements to the site in future updates.

Teens Lead On Tech, Tweens Follow

"Adoption of technologies like cell phones or MP3 players among older teens is initially much higher in the early stages, but within a short period of time, that changes substantially, " said Zia Daniell Wigder, Research Director at JupiterResearch.

"For example, in 2004, eight percent of older teens embraced the iPod as compared to two percent of the younger teen population. Within two years, use by both 13- and 17-year-olds had increased to almost 30 percent."

The study found that the same trend does not hold true for Internet usage. Over a five year period, 2002-2006, there was a near uniform increase in time spent online among all teens. Older teens had the highest hours-per-week online, but usage by most teen groups increased roughly 20 percent regardless of age.

"Teens play a very significant role in influencing the purchasing decisions for new technology. Although older teens are consistently found to be the early adopters, the rate at which younger teens adopt the technology is not insignificant," said David Schatsky, President of JupiterResearch.

"Understanding this behavior will help marketers determine the best strategy for promoting new technology to younger consumers."