Screentime increases amongst kids

Screens have become an integral part of our lives. Whether at work, in our leisure time or even in the children's room. Screens of all shapes and sizes, including their content, are becoming increasingly popular.

According to a new report by Qustodio, children now spend more time playing games, surfing social media and watching free streaming platforms than paid streaming providers such as Netflix, Disney+ or Prime Video.

Based on data from more than 400.000 families

The study is based on data from more than 400,000 families with children aged between 4 and 18. It examined which platforms are most popular with children in 2023 and how much time they spend with them. It should be noted that the study covered in-app use of many platforms, which means that other means of access, e.g. via a web browser, are not included in the final data. Nevertheless, the report gives us a good overview of how children spend their screen time.

Streaming

According to the report, children worldwide spent 27% more time streaming in 2023 than in 2022. Globally, children spent an average of 57 minutes/day streaming content, in the USA it was even 64 minutes/day. YouTube was the most popular streaming service in every region analyzed. According to the results of the study, 63% of children have used the platform in the last two years.

Among the paid services, Netflix was the only one to increase in popularity from 2022 to 2023, while Prime Video, Hulu and Disney+ all recorded a decline.

Social Media

Since the introduction of Reels in 2020, the amount of time children spend on Instagram has increased year on year, rising 40% in the last year alone from 45 minutes/day to 63 minutes/day. Spanish children, who have always been masters of social media, were the frontrunners in Instagram usage. They spent an average of 71 minutes a day on the platform in 2023, setting a new time record for the country's youngest users.

Global winner TikTok

However, TikTok was the outright winner globally and in every single country included in our study. Globally, kids spent 112 minutes a day on TikTok, and in the US it was as much as two hours a day (120 minutes/day) - that's more than 180 40-second videos a day, or more than 240 30-second pieces of content to scroll through with no end in sight. On the other side of the pond, however TikTok usage was highest among younger users: children in the UK spent 127 minutes a day on the app, almost 100% more time than they spent on YouTube in the same year.

If you would like to find out more about the trends, for example from the Gaming, Education, Communication and more categories, click on the link in the source description.

Source: www.static.qustodio.com