A Morgan Stanley research note written by a 15-year-old Matthew Robson on his peers’ media habits has caused a stir among media executives and investors. Is this yet another example of experience losing out to youth? Or can a 15-year-old tell us more about future consumer habits than a 40-year-old executive?

THE CONSULTANT
David Elton
Can a 15-year-old tell us more about future consumer habits than a 40-year-old executive? Yes. A 15-year-old can tell the oldies how a teenager thinks better than any oldie can guess it. That Matthew was able to write it down is the best bit – what 15-year-old would otherwise dream of unloading to an oldie? More likely: “You want to know what I think? Yeah, right.”