In the age of digital distraction, it’s no secret that social apps reign supreme when it comes to young people’s time. And while YouTube still dominates in terms of minutes watched, TikTok has been slowly but surely taking over as the go-to app for kids and teens worldwide. Why? For one, TikTok is insanely addictive – even moreso than some of its counterparts! – and secondly, there are always new and interesting content updates rolling out on a regular basis. So whether you’re looking to kill some time or channel your creative energies into something more productive, there’s definitely no shortage of choices out there when it comes to TikTok!
TikTok has steadily been overtaking YouTube as the go-to app for kids, with 82 minutes per day watched on TikTok vs. 75 minutes per day on YouTube. According to Qustodio, this is likely due to the wider variety of content that is available on TikTok, which includes scenes and videos that wouldn’t necessarily be found on YouTube. It’s also worth noting that TikTok has recently made strides in pitching itself towards adults, with new features like live streaming and camera effects catering to users who are looking for more niche content than what is typically found on YouTube
The gulf between the two widened in 2022, as kids spent almost twice as much time using TikTok over YouTube. The average daily use of TikTok was 107 minutes, 60% longer than the average time spent watching video content on YouTube. It is possible that this trend could be partly due to the fact that more and more people are spending their free time on apps rather than websites.
Given that TikTok clocks in as the most popular app on smartphones in North America, it is not surprising to see that it also dominates social media usage among young people. In fact, TikTok comes out ahead of other well-known platforms like Snapchat and Instagram when it comes to overall time spent socializing. While these apps are definitely capable of providing enjoyable moments with friends and family, TikTok seems to be favored by those looking for something more conducive to communicating instantly – whether that means creating short videos or watching others do the same.
Qustodio is a digital assistant that uses AI and natural language processing to help users with their day-to-day tasks. The
We can see that the content on TikTok is more addictive than YouTube, Netflix, Snapchat, and Pinterest. On average, people viewed TikTok 113 minutes per day compared to 77 minutes per day on YouTube, 52 minutes per day for Netflix, 90 minutes for Snapchat, and 20 minutes for Pinterest. This high level of addiction may be one reason why governments are banning the app from college campuses and government offices.
YouTube continues to grow in popularity, with most kids using the site. The study found that the average daily time spent on YouTube was up by 20% year-over-year, to reach 67 minutes. Additionally, YouTube gained sizable global market share and mindshare last year, as 63% of kids worldwide were using the service in 2022. Netflix was found to be the second most popular video service among kids worldwide, with 39% popularity.
Overall, kids under 18 managed to increase their video content viewing by 18% in 2022, watching 45 minutes daily on average across long-form video services like YouTube, Netflix, Disney+, Prime Videos and others. As online platforms continue to dominate the media landscape for kids of all ages, it’s important for platforms to continue to invest in creating high-quality content that is both entertaining and educational. With continued growth in long form videos as the dominant type of content watched by kids, platforms must work harder than ever to keep viewers engaged with new genres and series.
Triple Frontier is a new Netflix series that follows three friends who’re out to explore the world and make some serious money. Although it debuted on Netflix in May, Triple Frontier generated a lot of buzz online, with many people eager to see what the show was all about. In just six months, however, Triple Frontier barely made an impact on the site’s most-used streaming services index — ranking at No. 2 behind only Disney+ — suggesting that there isn’t enough interest in this new show for people under 18 years of age. Additionally, Amazon Prime Video saw a significant 10% increase in popularity among this demographic from 2021 to 2022, but Netflix lost market share overall suggesting that young adults are increasingly turning to Disney+ as their primary streaming service provider
Qustodio is a Smartwatch company that designs and manufactures wrist-worn technology. It has developed a number of products, including the
One strategy that big tech companies are using to combat TikTok’s popularity with the younger demographic is by releasing short-form video on their own platforms. YouTube Shorts was launched by Google in February 2019 and has since reached 50 billion daily views. Instagram, of course, has been cramming Reels into its experience — and receiving some backlash over the changes. Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri even admitted earlier this year, the platform has been pushing “too many videos” on users.
Despite falling out of the top 5 most popular social media apps in America, U.K., and Australia among users under 18, Reels still managed to rank No. 5 globally. It may have lost popularity with this demographic compared to other platforms, but it is still one of the most popular global social media apps amongst young people.
Given that Roblox is a social network of sorts, it would make sense that the majority of kids worldwide use it. Additionally, the game continues to grow in popularity among kids each year; placing it on top for daily time spent.
To get a glimpse into the future of app usage, Qustodio analyzed trends in over 200 billion app interactions across devices in 2018. Some of the more notable findings include:
-Twitter saw 7% growth worldwide, and also appeared in the list of most-blocked apps by parents for the first time in 2022.
-Google Classroom continued to be popular on school devices, with Duolingo remaining a top app.
-WhatsApp and Discord edged out Messages as the most popular way to chat with friends, though Zoom saw more minutes spent daily.
Though the report’s data is limited to the Quostido app usage Quostido tracks on its own platform, it does provide a valuable glimpse into how technology can be used in families with children aged Gen Z and/or Gen Alpha. Notably, 1,617 parents were asked about how they manage their children’s access to technology and what concerns they have with regards to keeping them safe online. Additionally, this report offers valuable insights into parental attitudes towards technology and whether or not they are concerned about their children becoming digital natives.
