Parents are shopping earlier, spending more on what their kids want, and increasingly tuning that behavior to something other than TV. A new Audacy report argues audio is where budget-strapped parents and trend-driven teens are actually spending attention.
The findings, published by Audacy Senior Manager of Research & Insights Deepika Das, draw on MRI Simmons’ 2026 Q2 Trending Topics Study and Nielsen Scarborough’s 2025 national database. Among parents surveyed, 45% said buying what their child wants is a top priority, and 44% said they are willing to spend extra to meet their children’s needs. Forty percent plan to start shopping earlier than usual, and 45% said they will actively seek out deals and discounts this season.
Teens carry outsized influence in households, according to the report. Adults raising teenagers are 23% more likely to say their children affect the brands they choose, 15% more likely to say they struggle to resist requests for nonessential purchases, and 10% more likely to credit advertising with helping them choose products.
Those emotional priorities come with financial caution attached. Citing a JLL study reported by eMarketer, the report notes 64% of parents expect inflation to affect their back-to-school shopping this year, while separate NRF research found nearly half of shoppers are still waiting for the best deals before finishing their lists.
Audacy points to a shift away from video-first media consumption. Only 52% of parents watch broadcast television weekly and 55% watch cable, while just 43% qualify as heavy video streamers and 24% as heavy social media users. By comparison, 80% listen to AM/FM weekly, and 57% engage with streaming AM/FM or podcasts monthly.
The broadcaster made a similar case in last year’s back-to-school research, reporting that parents who listen to radio and podcasts were 25% more likely to buy additional items their children requested.
