New Nick Jr. UK Research Uncovers Average Length Of Time Before A Child Says "I'm Bored" During The Summer Holidays

PARENTS beware – the average child will utter their first "I’m bored" just TEN DAYS into the summer holidays, according to the latest research from Nickelodeon UK & Ireland!

Parents can expect to hear their first ‘I’m bored’ of the summer holidays after just ten days. Photo: Getty Images.

Researchers who carried out a detailed study found while the majority of the nation’s school children are longing for the six-week break to begin, they will soon “run out of things to do”.

Parents can then expect to hear the dreaded moan up to four times every day.

It also emerged more than half of parents reckon their children will start to look forward to going back to start a new school year around halfway through their time off.

Furthermore, the Nickelodeon study also revealed the most popular replies for long-suffering mums and dads, with: “But you’ve got loads of toys’ coming top. “If you’re so bored you can always help with the chores”, “Go and amuse yourself”, and “When I was your age I had a lot less, and I managed”, are also favourites:

Most Popular Things Parents Tell Bored Kids In Holidays
But you’ve got loads of toys
If you’re so bored you can always help with the chores!
Go and amuse yourself
When I was your age I had a lot less and I managed
Tidy your room
You don’t know how lucky you are
Can’t you go and see your friends?
We’ll go and see your grandparents, then?

Overall, seven in ten parents said they find it difficult to keep their kids entertained through the school summer break.

The research was carried out by Nick Jr. UK & Ireland, Nickelodeon's top-performing preschool channel, to highlight the channel's summer Make It And Bake It campaign, which encourages kids to bake cakes and treats, the best of which will be shown on the channel’s most popular shows. Winners will also receive a smashing Nick Jr. goody bag (containing: 1 x PAW Patrol plush, 1 x PAW Patrol pup mask, 1 x PAW Patrol Ryder’s Pup Pad, 1 x PAW Patrol Rescue Racers, 1 x PAW Patrol Pup 2 Hero Playset, 1 x Blaze and the Monster Machines Monster Dome Playset, 1 x Blaze and the Monster Machines Die Cast, 1 x Shimmer & Shine Talking Doll).

Virginia Monaghan, Vice President (VP) Creative, Marketing and Communications, Nickelodeon UK & Ireland, who commissioned the study for Nick Jr., said: “The school summer holidays can seem endless and full of possibilities when you are younger.

“In reality, staying entertained for such a stretch of time can be a challenge and parents will need to get their thinking caps on for activities if they are to keep their kids busy through the seven-week break.”

The national survey, by OnePoll.com, also uncovered the top 50 ways to keep your kids entertained in the summer months.

Family days out came out as the number one distraction for restless youngsters, followed by watching TV as a family, and a visit to the cinema together.

In addition to Nick Jr.'s Make It And Bake It competition, Nickelodeon recently launched Infinity Islands, a brand-new gaming world filled with games based on fan-favourite Nickelodeon shows and stars. Nick will be adding more new games, which are sure to keep kids occupied, during the summer holidays.

More Nick: PAW Patrol Live! "Race to the Rescue" To Tour The UK & Ireland During Summer 2017!

Original source: The Sun.

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Nickelodeon UK Uses Facial Coding To Measure Ad Response

The market research news website Research has unveiled a fantastic article, below, about how Nickelodeon UK, the number one commercial kids TV network in the UK, used facial coding to measure children's in-the-moment responses to advertising as part of their recent research project, "My Media, My Ads"!:

Nickelodeon uses facial coding to measure ad response

UK — Kids TV channel Nickelodeon has embarked on a research project to measure children's in-the-moment responses to advertising.

Speaking at the MRS conference on Kids and Youth Research, its head of insight Alison York explained that there was a clear trend for one giant screen that the family gathered around in the living room, with multiple additional personal handheld devices.

In terms of TV advertising, children's ad recall is very high – 75% can remember an ad on TV recently. And there is an understanding of what TV advertising is from an early age.

York explained that the media company worked with Momentum Research to use facial coding to measure emotions and therefore engagement. It identified five key reactions: humour, active engagement, pleasure, displeasure and disengagement – with the first two the most important.

"We were sceptical to begin with and it took us a while to get our heads around but we may now use it for content development as well as for advertising," said York.

She identified some key pointers for talking to kids in this medium: have one key message; use characters; use audio cues; have a clear and interesting voice-over; keep it simple and talk on their level.

"This is the emergence of the swipe generation: there is an average of 8.4 different devices in a household," she said. There has been a particular increase in tablets and the rise of children owning them thanks to hand-me-downs from parents.

However she pointed to some theories on multi-screening not being pertinent to children.

"Seventy-three percent of children say they are multi-screening when watching TV but we think there is over-claim in this," said York. "It depends on the developmental stage as to whether they are capable of multi-screening."

So, four to six year olds can't do it, seven to nine year olds start to practice multi-screening, so while they may appear to be multi-screening they are actually flicking between the two. By the age of 10, children start to multi-screen said York.

In Nickelodeon's research it found that 50% of the time when kids are watching TV, that is the only thing they are doing.

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Nickelodeon UK Reveals Findings From New Research About How Well People Know Famous Artists

To celebrate Nicktoons UK and Ireland, starting to premiere and show brand new episodes from "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" season 3 every Saturday and Sunday at 9:30am from Saturday 7th February 2015, Nickelodeon UK has unveiled the findings from their latest research which takes a look at how well people in Britain know about famous artists!

From The Mirror:

Confused Britons think Van Gogh is MANCHESTER UNITED manager and believe Picasso is a SPARKLING WINE

Others believe Italian artist Botticelli is a type of pasta and fellow painter Matisse a brand of shampoo

Van's United's man: But which one?

Some Britons think Vincent Van Gogh is the latest manager of MANCHESTER UNITED while others believe Pablo Picasso is a SPARKLING WINE.

While most people know the Red Devils boss is Louis van Gaal and 91 per cent recognised Picasso's name as that of the surrealist artist, only 32 per cent said Donatello was best known for being a sculptor.

Twenty-two per cent thought the name was more associated with FASHION.

Others think Italian artist Botticelli is a type of pasta, fellow painter Matisse a brand of shampoo and Caravaggio a type of coffee.

And when they do recognise names of old masters such as da Vinci and Michelangelo, at least half have the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to thank.

However, 24 per cent still claim they are interested in art, according to the survey of 2,000 adults by TV network Nickelodeon for the launch of a new series of the famous turtle crimefighters.

Van Gogh and Leonardo da Vinci are well known, but only 48 per cent recognise Delacroix as an artist while others associate him with a jewellery brand or even a type of fountain.

Asked what Renoir is most famous for, 82 per cent said painting but other answers included 'a film genre', 'a car brand' and 'a type of red wine'.

One in five women (19 per cent) said Botticelli was an opera singer, five per cent think Matisse is the president of France and more people know Donatello as a turtle than sculptor.

Many Brits admit their art knowledge is gleaned from TV or films, said the study. Four in ten younger adults, aged 25-34, admit their children have picked up Spanish from the show Dora the Explorer.

And 60 per cent of those who grew up in the 1980s say they discovered the story of the Three Musketeers only through the cartoon Dogtanian when they were kids.

Tina McCann, of Nickelodeon, said: "Some people may confuse a 16th century artist with a type of coffee, but our research suggests that our collective cultural knowledge comes from a number of different and, sometimes unusual, places.

"Even though our four Turtle brothers were initially named after Renaissance masters for comic effect, it is heartening to learn that their fame could help with enlightening the nation."

Catch the all-new third season of "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" every Saturday and Sunday at 9:30am from Saturday 7th February 2015 on NickToons UK and Ireland!

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Nickelodeon UK Unveils Findings From "My Media, My Ads" Study

Nickelodeon UK's research department, Nickelodeon UK Research And Insights, has unveiled the findings of their latest major research study, titled "My Media, My Ads", the first research piece of its kind!

The objective of "My Media, My Ads" is to gain a deeper understanding of kids' media usage and their perception of advertising and to give advertisers a comprehensive understanding as to what works when looking to engage with a young audience. By looking at the latest trends and at new evidence, the study reveals to advertisers how to fully engage with the kids' demo, helping them to build accurately targeted and meaningful campaigns. In essence, Nickelodeon can now reveal the perfect recipe to create the perfect ad!

The results of this extensive study are a combination of the latest trends and new evidence using both qualitative and quantitative methods, the latest industry data from Ofcom, Thinkbox and Childwise, ground-breaking facial coding techniques, 10,000 minutes of online interviews with parents and kids aged 6-13 and face to face interviews with 20 children and 8 families.

Quite simply, Nickelodeon are experts in getting in front of kids, and they are delighted to be able to reveal the perfect recipe to create the perfect ad. If you want to know more, simply download the PDF here on Nickelodeon UK's official Nickelodeon UK Research And Insights website or contact Nickelodeon UK Research And Insights for a full demo. Nickelodeon can discuss in much greater detail the key findings of their research piece.

In the past few years, the media landscape has evolved at full pace, and kids content and advertising has spread onto many different devices, such as tablets and smartphones. The average child now has eight screens at home.

Keeping track of the media evolution, its absolutely essential to create the most suitable brand solutions that catch the attention of kids.

Constant research allows Nickelodeon to optimise their programming, their marketing, and therefore, their partnerships.

But enough with all these wise words, let the facts speak for themselves! Nickelodeon presents: My Media, My Ads!

Nickelodeon UK's latest research study delivers an important insight into what kids and their parents think about advertising. It reveals what kind of screens and devices children use across the UK, what they remember best, and what they make of advertising.

But not only numbers have their say, by using additional methods, Nick lets the kids talk for themselves to tell Nickelodeon their own views on media and advertising.

Now Nickelodeon additionally knows for a fact that screen advertising has a huge impact on kids, and cross media campaigns can boost the ad impact even more, alongside Nick's recipe of how to talk to kids.

With Nickelodeon, you'll have a direct link with to the children and their parents.

Colourful, exciting and full of humour.

So jump right into a study full of insights and let Nickelodeon draw the big picture of the kids media and advertising world today!

Additional sources: Marketing Magazine, GetMeMedia.com.

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Nickelodeon UK Unveils Findings From "Me, My Selfie & I" Study

The modern marketing and media news website is reporting in the following article that Nickelodeon UK's research department, Nickelodeon UK Research And Insights, has unveiled the findings of their major new research study called "Me, My Selfie & I", a study that explores how children use digital devices and the roles they play in their lives.

Nickelodeon commissioned the bespoke "Me, My Selfie & I" research project to gain a deeper understanding of kids' lives today and to provide insight into how the digital world defines their relationship with media and here are some key findings. The study took place in four stages, including in depth interviews with kids and industry experts, an online survey with over 1000 kids aged 6-11 and a cluster analysis to develop profile groups:

Nickelodeon finds 24% of kids are 'social sharers'

Viacom-owned children's TV channel Nickelodeon has found that 24 per cent of UK children are so-called 'social sharers', in a study that explores how they use digital devices and the roles they play in their lives.

The research, Me, My Selfie & I, which questioned 1,000 children between the ages of six and 11 identified four 'digital tribes' or groups of kids differentiated by how they used digital media.

A total 32 per cent of children interviewed fell into the 'playful newbie' category, made up of 53 per cent girls, while 23 per cent of children had 'digital discoverer' behaviours, dominated by boys at 61 per cent.

A further 21 per cent were put in the 'games master' tribe, skewed towards boys who accounted for 68 per cent of the total. Nearly a quarter (24 per cent) of the respondents were 'social sharers', with boys very slightly dominating at 52 per cent.

"What Me, My Selfie & I reveals is that the ways kids use and feel about devices is more complex than current advertising models may allow for," said John Conlon, vice president, UK research and insight, Viacom International Media Networks.

"Transcending gender or age, kids' usage and engagement with devices is defined by their need to discover, play, communicate, create and share. With this insight, content producers, promotional partners and sales teams can reach audiences in a more effective and meaningful way."

In addition to the identification of these groups, the research also found that there is a clear hierarchy of screens within UK households with kids preferring devices with larger screens. The TV remains the top device used for entertainment by UK kids with tablets and laptops also rating favourably.

Below is a video report of Nickelodeon UK Research And Insights' "Me, My Selfie & I" findings, filmed at Nickelodeon UK's offices at Hawley Crescent in Camden, London:

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Nick Jr. UK's Latest Research Finds That The UK Is A Nation Of Big Kids

The British daily tabloid newspaper The Daily Mail is reporting the Nickelodeon UK News in the following article that from their official website, the Mail Online, that, to celebrate Nick Jr. UK and Ireland's brand-new CG-animated preschool series "Zack & Quack", Nick Jr. UK has unveiled the findings from the preschool channels' latest research to mark the launch of the all-new show!

As part of Nick Jr. UK's latest study, Nick Junior found that the UK is a nation of big kids! One in five adults say they still love childhood pursuits such as popping bubble wrap, watching cartoons, playing pranks on friends, kicking piles of leaves, licking the bowl, saying 'jinx' and 'shotgun', pretending to have superpowers, jumping on shopping trollies and daydreaming.

You can find the study's findings, including a list of the top 50 childlike activities adult Brits like to indulge in, in the article below.

Watch Zack & Quack every Friday at 4:30pm on Nick Jr. UK (repeated at 5:30pm on Nick Jr.+1):

A nation of big kids! One in five adults say they still love childhood pursuits such as popping bubble wrap, watching cartoons and playing pranks on friends

* Youthful urges include jumping on shopping trollies and daydreaming
* Saying 'jinx' and 'shotgun' or pretending to have superpowers are others
* Half of adults say being more imaginative makes them better at work
* 90% of parents say they relive childhood moments through their children
* One in six also feel it is important their child saw them being a bit silly

Popping bubble wrap, kicking piles of leaves and licking the bowl are all childish habits that one in five of us just can't kick, a new study has found.

Other youthful urges that have proved hard to let go of include whizzing round the supermarket while clinging to a shopping trolley, drawing faces on steamed up mirrors, not eating crusts and saying 'jinx'.

But although adults like to cling onto childish ways to have fun, most say their imagination and ability to see things with a child-like eye dwindles by the age of 26.

One, two, three, pop! Bubble wrap is just as popular with adults as with children

Nevertheless, a youthful two thirds of adults said they still feel like a big kid at heart with one in 10 admitting to indulging in Home Alone style pranks such as jumping out on people to startle them.

More than half of those studied said they regularly daydream, mostly about being very rich or happy, while a third of dreamers imagine a life lived in a big house and a fifth pretend they have superpowers.

A resounding 86 per cent thought it crucial to try and remain imaginative as an adult while more than two thirds believe that having a good imagination makes you more creative.

However, it's not all child's play, as half said that being more imaginative made them better at work.

Youthful: David Beckham is among the adults to pick up youthful habits from their children

Others said they adopted additional youthful habits as an adult, with a fifth admitting to picking up slang phrases such as 'selfie' while a third indulged in text speak, using abbreviations such as 'lol'.

An adventurous one in four even confessed to photobombing others by sticking their fingers up behind an unsuspecting person's head.

Other ways in which adults hark back to their younger years were through dancing to music, spending time with young family members and indulging in the occasional duvet day.

A grateful 90 per cent of parents regularly relive certain childhood moments through their children, with days out, watching programmes together and feeding the ducks among the most popular activities.

Six in 10 parents said that the benefits went two ways, saying that it's important for their children to see them being a bit silly from time to time.

Popular: Pulling a silly face like Cara Delevigne is the seventh most popular way to indulge your inner child

The top 50 child-like behaviours emerged in a poll of 2,000 adults conducted by Nick Jr. UK to mark the launch of brand-new children's show Zack & Quack, which airs every Friday at 4:30pm.

Jacqueline Harding, a child development expert, said: 'Children have an innate capacity to be imaginative and it is only as we mature and face exposure to adult rules and regulations that imagination and creativity begins to wane.

'Magical stories serve a child's imagination and are invaluable to the development of solution-focused thinking.

'Children believe that challenges can be overcome and they are optimistic in their approach, so adults need to play in order to regain that child-like sense that anything is possible.'

Fun: Britons love to lick the batter from the bowl like young children

The top 50 childlike activities Brits like to indulge in

1. Popping bubble wrap
2. Trampling through snow
3. Sticking fingers in cake mix / lick the bowl
4. Kicking piles of leaves
5. Going on a swing
6. Watching kids' movies
7. Pulling silly faces
8. Building a snowman
9. Touching hot plates
10. Having a snowball fight
11. Prodding wet paint
12. Doodling in meetings
13. Running away from the sea when at the beach
14. Watching cartoons
15. Cracking through ice on puddles
16. Drawing smiley faces in the mirror
17. Playing with your hair
18. Jumping out and startling people
19. Blowing bubbles with chewing gum
20. Picking your nose
21. Being the first to push the button at a pedestrian crossing/lift
22. Wheeling around on a trolley in supermarket
23. Splashing in puddles
24. Running/skipping for no reason
25. Having a water fight
26. Saying 'jinx' when someone says the same thing as you at the same time
27. Drawing faces on celebrities' faces in magazines

Good memories: Letting go and kicking leaves is another childhood joy we hang on to

28. Popping crisp packets
29. Blowing a blade of grass
30. Slurping through your straw
31. Dressing up in fancy dress
32. Swinging like a monkey on any bar that's around head height.
33. Doing handstands/cartwheels/snow angels
34. Repeating everything a friend says to annoy them
35. Shouting 'shotgun' and running for the front seat in the car
36. Not eating crusts
37. Racing to be first at anything
38. Pretending to walk downstairs 'to the cellar'? when you're stood behind a counter
39. Drawing on car windscreens
40. Pretending the shopping trolley is a car/motorbike
41. Popping fuchsias
42. Running through a sprinkler
43. Blowing bubbles in milk
44. Going to bed with a toy
45. Rolling down a hill
46. Dressing up animals
47. Sleeping with the light on
48. Stealing someone's hat
49. Leapfrogging bollards
50. Bum-sliding down banisters

Kids stuff? Zack & Quack cartoon could be a big hit



Watch Zack & Quack every Friday at 4:30pm on Nick Jr.

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Nickelodeon UK Reveals Findings From New Research About The Differences In Maturity Between Genders

The South West News Service (SWNS), the UK's largest independent press agency, is reporting the Nickelodeon UK News in the following article that, to celebrate Nickelodeon UK & Ireland and Nickelodeon HD UK starting to premiere and show Nickelodeon's brand new live-action family comedy series called "Wendell & Vinnie", which stars and is produced with Nickelodeon Productions by Nickelodeon Star and "iCarly" actor Jerry Trainor, weekdays at 7.00pm (repeated at 8.00pm on Nick UK's +1 (plus-one) timeshift channel, Nick+1) and at weekends at 8.30pm (replayed at 9.30pm on Nick+1) from Monday 10th June 2013, Nickelodeon UK has unveiled the findings from the kids channels' latest research Nick UK commissioned to mark the launch of the new sitcom!

Revealed: Men finally grow up aged 43 (11 years after women)


Men finally grow up at the age of 43 – a full 11 years after women ‘mature’, it emerged yesterday (Mon).

A study into the differences in maturity between genders revealed both men and women agree blokes remain ‘immature’ well into their late 30s and early 40s.

But the average age at which women mature emerged as 32.

Alarmingly, eight out of ten women believe that men ‘never stop being childish’ – with breaking wind, burping, eating fast food in the early hours and playing videogames their biggest bug-bears.

Staying silent during arguments, not being able to cook simple meals and re-telling the same old jokes and stories when with the lads were also hailed as signs of immaturity.

The research was commissioned by Nickelodeon UK to mark the launch of the new show Wendell & Vinnie showing weeknights at 7:00pm.

Tim Patterson VP, Director of Programming, Nickelodeon UK, said: ”As a man, especially one who works for a children’s channel, the question if men ever reach maturity is one I am well accustomed to.

”However as the characters Wendell and Vinnie show in our new programme, a difference in maturity between two people definitely makes for an amusing partnership.”

Both men and women agreed women reach proper maturity much earlier than guys, at the typical age of 32.

Men were nearly twice as likely to describe themselves as immature than were women with one in four men believing they are actively immature.

Women were also twice as likely as men to feel that they were the ‘grown up’ one in their current relationship.

One quarter of women felt they were the ones made all the important decisions in the relationship with the same percentage wishing their partner would talk about themselves and what they’re feeling more often.

Women also found British men’s biggest maturity failings were still finding breaking wind funny, driving too fast and playing videogames.

Three in ten women have ended a relationship because they lost patience with the guy being too immature.

A whopping 46 per cent of women have had a relationship in which they felt they had to mother their partner a bit too much.

In fact the average British woman has to tell her cheeky partner to ‘act his age’ more than once a month – an average of 14 times a year.

Immaturity does have it upside though with four in ten people think immaturity is important in a relationship because it ensures the partnership stays fun and keeps things fresh.

One in three people think a bit of immaturity helps in bonding well with children.

The brand-new, comedy series, Wendell & Vinnie, follows 30-year-old Vinnie Bassett, a carefree bachelor, who suddenly becomes the legal guardian of his wise-beyond-his-years nephew Wendell.

Vinnie's bachelor life comes to a halt when he assumes guardianship of his incredibly intelligent and mature nephew, Wendell. They soon find that 12-year-old Wendell may be just the parent Vinnie needs. The series will air regularly every weeknight at 7:00pm on Nickelodeon.

MEN'S TOP 30 MATURITY FAILINGS – AS EXPERIENCED BY WOMEN

1. Finding their own farts and burps hilarious
2. Eating fast food at 2:00am
3. Playing videogames
4. Driving too fast or ‘racing’ another car at the lights or on the motorway
5. Sniggering a bit at rude words
6. Driving with loud music
7. Playing practical jokes
8. Trying to beat children at games and sport
9. Staying silent during an argument
10. Not being able to cook simple meals
11. Re-telling the same silly jokes and stories when with the lads
12. Don't like talking about themselves / having proper conversations
13. Hating books/reading because of short attention span/they're boring
14. Doing crazy dance moves
15. Mum still doing their washing
16. Having their Mum still make them breakfast/any meal
17. Wearing trainers to night clubs
18. Owning a skateboard or BMX
19. Not eating vegetables
20. Changing jobs regularly
21. Getting too excited over stag do’s
22. Sometimes trying to do wheelies/stunts on their bike
23. Driving a modified car or one with a loud exhaust/boy racer
24. Showing off about how girls are attracted to them
25. Wearing pyjamas, specifically cartoon pyjamas
26. Using dodgy chat-up lines
27. Showing off about protein shakes/weight-lifting/how much they ‘lift’
28. Littering
29. Wearing saggy-crotched jeans
30. Having a cartoon bedspread

Nickelodeon UK Unveils Findings From Their Recent Research About British Parenting; Mummy Pig From Nick Jr.'s "Peppa Pig" Named As The Number One Mother Modern Mum's Look Up To!

The UK parenting publication UKMums.tv is reporting in the following article the Nickelodeon UK news that recent research by Nickelodeon UK has found that 94% of British kids name their mum as the person they're most closest to, with half of parents declaring their children as their very best friend. The closing generation gap is being thought of as one of the reasons most families feel closer to each other, with most parents sharing common interests with their children. Nearly half of the mums Nick surveyed like the same films (movies) as their kids, with two thirds sharing the same taste in music.

UKMums.tv is also reporting that according to a recent poll, Mummy Pig from the popular Nick Jr. TV show "Peppa Pig" is the number one Mother modern Mums admire and look up to for her friendship with her kids when they are trying to be a friend as well as a Mum to their own children:

Mums are now a girl's best friend

Just who is your BFF (Best Friend Forever)? According to new research it’s very likely to either by your own daughter or your dear mum herself!

Research by Nickelodeon found that 94% of British kids name their mum as the person they’re closest to, with half of parents declaring their children as their very best friend.

The closing generation gap (and the fact that us mums are much trendier – we hope!) is one of the reasons most families feel closer to each other, with most parents sharing common interests with their offspring. Nearly half of mums like the same films as their kids, with two thirds sharing the same taste in music.

Things seem to have moved on from when we were kids, with most parents feeling a closer friendship with their children rather than just a bond, compared to many parents not having much in common with their parents when growing up.

And who do modern mums like us look up to when trying to be a friend as well as a mum? According to a new poll Mummy Pig from TV show Peppa Pig is the number one mum others admire for her friendship with her kids.

This means that Mummy Pig beat off competition from yummy mummies like Holly Willoughby, Victoria Beckham and Myleene Klass to claim the top spot!

Also, Tweeted (posted) by the Nickelodeon UK Press Office on their official Twitter profile page (@NickelodeonUKPR):

New Nickelodeon research has found that over 50% of UK parents declare their children to be their best friends! http://tinyurl.com/ajvkqn6.

Nickelodeon UK Unveils The Results Of Their Major New Research Programme Titled "We Heart Family"

According to this Nickelodeon UK News article on the official Sky Media website, SkyMedia.co.uk, Nickelodeon UK has unveiled the findings of their major new research programme called "We Heart Family"/"We Love Family", which has uncovered a revealing portrait of UK families. Nickelodeon UK's "We ♥ Family" research programme was carried out by Nickelodeon UK's "Nickelodeon UK Research And Insights" research department, and involved a nationally representative online panel of nearly 2,000 UK kids and families, which Nickelodeon UK use to maintain a constant dialogue with their audience:

We ♥ Family Research

Nickelodeon UK has revealed the findings of a major new research programme that has uncovered a revealing portrait of UK families. Key findings are that the majority of parents feel the generation gap is closing and that families tend to make decisions as a unit. Want to know more? We'd be happy to come and tell you about it so please get in touch.

Getting right to the heart of what it's like for families today, the research explores what binds families together, family decision making, kids' dreams versus parents' aspirations and the impact that new technology and the recession are having on family life among other topics. The survey suggests that families today are under lots of pressure and time that family members spend together is increasingly valued. The balance of power within families is shifting and it is no longer enough for brands to just appeal to parents; the whole family must be taken into consideration.

"We believe that understanding families is vitallyimportant for brands today," said John Conlon, Senior Director of Research & Insight at Nickelodeon UK. "Families are changing, becoming closer and more democratic. Kids are more empowered and are playing a greater role than ever before in family decisions."

The research, which Nickelodeon plans to carry out annually, is based on bespoke local studies as well as drawing on broader international projects with thepurpose of maintaining a clear and relevant dialogue with Nickelodeon UK viewers, plus serving promotional partners by highlighting the challenges and opportunities for brands in the UK market.

Nickelodeon conducted research between September 2011 and February 2012 based upon over 2,000 nationally representative respondents who completed online quantitative surveys covering key areas of family life. Extensive qualitative video interviews were also carried out with a diverse selection of families from across Britain. International studies based on a total of 16,000 families spread across multiple countries were drawn upon to add global context to the UK findings.

Nickelodeon's findings show that families are becoming closer. 65% of parents believe that there is less of a generation gap today than existed when they were kids. Time together is at the heart of family closeness with days out and shared TV viewing cited as favourite activities for both kids and parents. Kids are playing an increasingly important role in purchasing decisions with only 13% of parents not involving their kids on aregular basis. Far from being seen as unwelcome pestering, most parents actively encourage their kids' involvement with 86% seeking their input to teach them that their opinion matters.

You can find out much more information about Nickelodeon UK's "We Heart Family" research programme, including information about UK Kids and Familiy Nickelodeon Focus Groups, the 'Nickelodeon Kids & Family GPS', and recent Nickelodeon studies, obtain a copy of Nickelodeon UK's new "We Love Family" research, and watch a short and informative streaming Nickelodeon UK video about Nick UK's "We Heart Family" study findings that features British families talking about subjects important to British them, including 'Money', 'Closer Families', 'Sharing', 'Family Roles', 'Connections', and 'Happiness', here on the official Nickelodeon UK and Ireland websites' official "Nickelodeon Research" webpage, Nick.co.uk/info/research.