[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.9.2″ _module_preset=”default” da_disable_devices=”off|off|off” global_colors_info=”{}” da_is_popup=”off” da_exit_intent=”off” da_has_close=”on” da_alt_close=”off” da_dark_close=”off” da_not_modal=”on” da_is_singular=”off” da_with_loader=”off” da_has_shadow=”on”][et_pb_row custom_padding_last_edited=”on|phone” _builder_version=”4.9.2″ _module_preset=”default” module_alignment=”left” custom_margin=”0px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”2px||4px|2%|false|false” custom_padding_tablet=”” custom_padding_phone=”0px||0px||true|false” module_alignment_tablet=”” module_alignment_phone=”center” module_alignment_last_edited=”on|desktop” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.9.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_team_member name=”Qustodio team” position=”Experts in digital safety” image_url=”https:\/\/static.qustodio.com\/public-site\/uploads\/2021\/10\/01090043\/Qustodio-Team.png” _builder_version=”4.10.8″ _module_preset=”default” width=”80%” width_tablet=”” width_phone=”” width_last_edited=”on|phone” module_alignment=”center” custom_margin=”||24px|7px|false|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||true|false” position_text_align_tablet=”” position_text_align_phone=”center” position_text_align_last_edited=”on|phone” text_orientation_tablet=”” text_orientation_phone=”center” text_orientation_last_edited=”on|phone” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_team_member][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.9.2″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”-80px|||||” custom_padding=”0px||0px||true|false” da_disable_devices=”off|off|off” global_colors_info=”{}” da_is_popup=”off” da_exit_intent=”off” da_has_close=”on” da_alt_close=”off” da_dark_close=”off” da_not_modal=”on” da_is_singular=”off” da_with_loader=”off” da_has_shadow=”on”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.9.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.9.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.10.8″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
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A little over a year has passed since the arrival of Covid-19 and the related pandemic restrictions that pushed much of the activities left in the offline world into the online world. Our way of relating, working, educating, socializing and entertaining was pushed behind on the screens.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n However, even before the pandemic, Qustodio, the leader in online safety and digital wellbeing for families, was already warning parents about the risks related to the excessive use of screens by kids, highlighted by a <\/span>100% increase <\/b>in online activity in the spring of 2020, and remaining up <\/span>36% <\/b>for the year, even as many kids returned to the classroom.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Aware of this constantly evolving digital reality, Qustodio presents its second annual report on children\u2019s digital habits: ‘Kids and apps: a year trapped behind screens’, a study that provides insights on the app behavior of <\/span>100,000 families <\/b>with children between 4 and 15 years in <\/span>Spain, <\/b>the <\/span>US <\/b>and the <\/span>UK <\/b>during 2020. The study researches 5 app categories: <\/span>online video, social media, gaming, education <\/b>and <\/span>communication<\/b>, the latter new to this year\u2019s report due to the unprecedented growth in the category.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The analysis of online video showed a clear need for entertainment during lockdowns\u2013viewing among kids increased by <\/span>25%<\/b>, an average of 45 minutes per day. <\/span>YouTube <\/b>was the most popular video by far, but its lead is shrinking with increasing competition. <\/span>Twitch <\/b>saw exceptional growth in popularity, increasing as much as <\/span>150% <\/b>in spain.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The other star of 2020 was <\/span>Disney Plus<\/b>, absent from the Spanish market before the pandemic, it has gone on to become the 3rd most used video application in the US and the 4th in Spain and the UK. Nevertheless, kids spend nearly <\/span>50% <\/b>more time watching videos on <\/span>YouTube Kids <\/b>than on <\/span>Disney Plus. <\/b>Parents blocked <\/span>YouTube Kids <\/b>the least, even though it is the online video app that kids use the most, <\/span>68 mins\/day <\/b>on average.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n While video apps kept many kids entertained, social media apps kept them connected. Social media use had the largest and sustained increase for the year, <\/span>76% <\/b>higher than in 2019. <\/span>TikTok<\/b>, despite all the bad press, rose several points to be placed in the favorite social network among kids. Children connected to <\/span>TikTok <\/b>on average <\/span>75 <\/b>minutes a day, nearly <\/span>100% <\/b>more than last year.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Instagram<\/b>, which was the most popular social network in 2019, dropped <\/span>43% <\/b>globally, placing it behind <\/span>Facebook<\/b>. Nevertheless, kids continued to use it far more than <\/span>Facebook <\/b>(<\/span>44 <\/b>mins\/day compared to <\/span>17 <\/b>mins\/day).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Among gaming apps, the analysis shows that the vast majority are games inspired by war, battle, survival and with violent content. Additionally, time kids spent playing games in 2020 was up <\/span>23% <\/b>relative to 2019. Globally, <\/span>Roblox <\/b>remained the most popular video game with <\/span>35% <\/b>of children playing that app worldwide. Kids also played <\/span>Roblox <\/b>longer than the other popular apps, averaging <\/span>100 <\/b>minutes a day in the US, <\/span>95 <\/b>minutes a day in the UK, and <\/span>86 <\/b>minutes a day in Spain. For example, Kids played <\/span>Roblox 2x <\/b>more than <\/span>Brawl Stars<\/b>, the most popular application in the Spanish market. Which game did kids play the longest overall? World of Warcraft (<\/span>142 <\/b>min \/ day).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Looking to education apps, according to the study, in the first semester, the use of learning and classroom management apps by children shot up <\/span>162% <\/b>during the pandemic, and landed up <\/span>54% <\/b>for the year. <\/span>Google Classroom <\/b>remained the most popular application worldwide with the exception of\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n the United Kingdom where <\/span>Show My Homework <\/b>held on to the top spot. Finally, communication apps have been fundamental, allowing contact with friends and family during this period. So much so, that the time spent in them increased by an average of <\/span>91 <\/b>minutes a day, that is, <\/span>49% <\/b>more than in 2019. Although WhatsApp is still the most popular, 2020 welcomed <\/span>Zoom<\/b>, which took off during the pandemic and grew by more than <\/span>90% <\/b>in popularity. Kids used <\/span>Zoom <\/b>an average of <\/span>50 <\/b>minutes a day, <\/span>56% <\/b>more than <\/span>WhatsApp<\/b>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Before the pandemic, kids used apps most between <\/span>4 pm and 8 pm<\/b>, but during the lockdowns that after school peak disappeared and stretched out throughout the day, from <\/span>11 am to 9 pm<\/b>. The buffer in screen time created by going to school was gone as school itself went online and parents needed to keep kids educated and entertained while they themselves had to work online.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Eduardo Cruz<\/b>, CEO and co-founder of Qustodio, sums up the report by saying, the \u201c<\/span>confinement has marked a before and after in people’s digital lives. The insights obtained during this period highlight the stark contrast in kids habits compared to 2019. The habits assumed during the Covid-19 will be difficult to modify, especially among kids. It is expected that the mainstream apps will continue to grow and offer increasingly specialized and personalized services, including adaptations of popular services for kids. Instagram\u2019s recent announcement of the creation of a version of its service for children is just the beginning<\/span><\/i>.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.10.8″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n \n \n For media enquiries, contact press@qustodio.com<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":23573,"template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":""},"press-releases\/category":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n