A whole generation of young people are being lost to traditional media as they switch off their television sets and go and do something less boring instead.
According to a new Ofcom market report traditional media is losing a "networked generation" of young people as TV, radio and newspapers are shunned in favour of iPods, mobile phones and online chats.
The report's findings will stoke the fears of traditional media companies who are trying every which way to attract the interest of youngsters.
Ofcom said today that the internet now played the "central role" in the daily lives of teenagers and young adults, where TV was once the cultural touchpoint for kids.
The BBC's newly appointed teen tsar, Radio 1 controller Andy Parfitt, will be among those poring over the regulator's report with particular interest.
Ofcom found that the amount of time 16-24 years olds spent tuned in to public service broadcasters such as the BBC and Channel 4 has fallen dramatically over the past five years.
No sooner had Ofcom published its report this morning than its veracity was borne out when Emap confirmed the suspension of its teen magazine Sneak, citing the fact that teenagers are turning to the internet and mobile phones to get their fix of celebrity gossip rather than the printed page.
Emap Elan managing director, Dawn Bebe, told her staff that the challenges of the teen market had proved too much: "The teenage magazine market is one of the most challenging sectors in the industry with increasing numbers of teenagers choosing new media platforms to satisfy their interests.
The closure comes just six months after Emap closed its talismanic teenage title, Smash Hits, after nearly 30 years, citing the same reason - the rise of digital media.
Yesterday Xohi Birch, co-founder of social networking site Bebo, said during a live web chat on MediaGuardian.co.uk that there is a third way: future media.
"Young people are growing up in a very different environment," said Ms Birch. "They are used to the ease of communication and will most likely stay in contact with a wider range of people. The question is will new media and old media fuse to become the future media?"
