[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _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 _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/static.qustodio.com\/public-site\/uploads\/2024\/08\/16133806\/2024-08-Gen-Alpha-Z-What-their-phones-say_Hero_Hero.jpg” alt=”apps through the ages how gen alpha and gen z are using their phones” title_text=”2024-08 – Gen Alpha & Z What their phones say_Hero_Hero” force_fullwidth=”on” admin_label=”Image” _builder_version=”4.24.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”||24px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _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=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.24.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
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Nearly half of US kids aged 10-15 are on average spending over two hours a day on TikTok<\/strong>, according to a new report from world-leading online safety company Qustodio. The new research reveals how children are interacting with apps over time, and how habits change and develop with age.<\/span><\/p>\n The report, titled \u201c<\/span>Apps through the Ages<\/span><\/i>\u201d, is based on anonymous app and online tool usage from 180,000 US families with children aged between 7-18.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThere are a number of key findings in our analysis of the usage data among US families that should give parents cause for concern, no matter the age,\u201d said Yasmin London, global online safety expert for Qoria, the parent company of Qustodio. \u201cAmid a debate about enforcing age restrictions for social media companies in many countries around the world, it\u2019s important to understand where children are actually spending their time, and the risks those apps pose<\/strong>. While many parents may see many of these apps as harmless distractions, they can expose children to a harmful and dark side of social media.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.24.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.24.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Even at this young age, social media use is already apparent. In the US, 31% of 7-9 year olds have accessed X, while 28% have used Reddit.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe theory is that kids as young as 7-9 years of age are gaining access to apps like X and Reddit as parents either don\u2019t know much about them or don\u2019t think to block them<\/strong> because they aren\u2019t as \u2018popular\u2019 \u2013 even though both platforms could expose kids to explicit content like hate speech, porn and disinformation,\u201d says London.<\/span><\/p>\n Roblox, however, takes the popularity crown<\/strong>, with this age group spending over 2 hours a day on the app alone. Here, users can play a wide variety of games, create their own games, and chat with other users online. While seemingly harmless, Roblox poses a series of risks along with its positives, as adults also play and some games have been found to contain highly inappropriate sexual content.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cParents think apps like Roblox are safe because the avatars look like innocent little Lego characters,\u201d says London. \u201cBut while kids are creating and participating in games, so too are older people and behind those avatars are adults using these games and chatrooms to groom or manipulate younger users<\/strong>. Parents need to understand the game, the risks it poses and who kids are playing with.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.24.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.24.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n By the age of 10, nearly half (42%) of US kids have their own smartphone.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMany parents may look at this statistic and wonder why so many kids this age have a smartphone or a TikTok account, and say something like \u2018just don\u2019t give your kid access at that age\u2019. But it\u2019s not that simple<\/strong>,\u201d says London. \u201cFor kids, often their main concern is cyber ostracism, which can lead to its own set of issues. People may downplay or ignore this issue, but not being included or allowed in chat groups or online games can result in kids doing it regardless and in a secretive way which isn\u2019t great if they need them to come forward when things go wrong. All kids want to feel included and the online world and friendship groups online are part of that now.<\/span><\/p>\n It’s perhaps no coincidence then that TikTok forms part of the picture from this age group onwards<\/strong>. 40% of kids use the renowned social media platform for an average of 121 minutes per day.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAssuming the average TikTok video is 30 seconds long, that\u2019s around 240 videos a day exposing kids to a range of content that may be inappropriate for their age group<\/strong>, and affecting their ability to focus and concentrate,\u201d says London. \u201cMany parents also don\u2019t know about features in these apps like Family Pairing for instance, which helps parents manage their kid\u2019s TikTok experience.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n While TikTok grows in popularity with this age group, so too does the use of social media platforms X and Reddit \u2013 dramatically increasing the likelihood of exposure to adult content.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cGlobally the average age a young person will first view pornography occurs before they turn 13<\/strong>. Often this is not because they intentionally seek it out, but because they stumble upon it by accident,\u201d says London. \u201cMature content is easy to find on platforms like Reddit and X. X even recently updated its community guidelines to allow users to \u2018share consensually produced adult nudity or sexual behavior.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n However, Roblox still remains the most popular app for this age group too<\/strong>, with 62% of 10-12 year olds using the platform for an average of 143 minutes per day.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.24.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.24.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n At this age, <\/span>Roblox slowly begins to drop in popularity <\/b>(slipping to 52% of kids using the game) as Spotify (66%), YouTube (62%), and Amazon Shopping (56%) become the three most popular apps. But perhaps <\/span>the biggest takeaway is how social media platforms start to take hold<\/b> as kids cross over into their teenage years.<\/span><\/p>\n Social media and communication apps become more present in this cohort, with <\/span>47% of 13-15 year olds scrolling TikTok for an average of 127 minutes a day<\/b>, while Snapchat enters the top 10 as 38% of teens use the app for an average of 94 daily minutes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Snapchat allows people to communicate by sending photos and messages that disappear once opened, and the report suggests it is the primary way that teenagers begin to communicate with one another on smartphones. However, the \u201cdisappearing\u201d nature of messages can embolden children to send more explicit messages and photos, or engage in increasingly toxic behavior on their phones.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201c<\/span>At this age, teens crave independence and autonomy, but developmentally, they still have poor impulse control<\/b>. This is why cyberbullying and toxic online behaviors can dramatically increase during these years,\u201d says London.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.24.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.24.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n While fewer young members of Gen Z are using TikTok (42%), its addictive features \u2013 such as the \u2018For You\u2019 page \u2013 still keep them on the app for long periods of time. While 16-18 year-olds reign in their use, they still manage to average 108 minutes per day, compared to <\/span>just over an hour (72 minutes) a day for Instagram<\/b>. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Discord and Snapchat are the communication apps of choice among the last of Gen Z: 40% of US 16-18 year olds and 39% use the apps respectively.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBy this age, teens are often reasonably self-sufficient and confident in their digital interactions, so communication and trust are a parent\u2019s most powerful tools,\u201d says London. \u201c<\/span>Even at this age, access to these applications poses the same risks that earlier age groups are exposed to<\/b>, and they can become an incredible distraction during a time when study and the future of these soon-to-be-adults become critical.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.24.0″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#e8fff7″ width=”60%” width_tablet=”” width_phone=”100%” width_last_edited=”on|phone” custom_margin=”10px||||false|false” custom_padding=”|26px||26px|false|true” border_radii=”on|10px|10px|10px|10px” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”4.24.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||32px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n7-9 year olds favor Roblox and access to tablets<\/b><\/h2>\n
At 10-12, the Smartphone Age begins – along with 240 Tik Tok videos a day<\/b><\/h2>\n
From taking a back seat to social sharing: 13-15-year-olds<\/b><\/h2>\n
TikTok and Instagram vie for attention among 16\u201318-year-olds<\/b><\/h2>\n