Photo Credit: Eyestetix Studio
TikTok is trouncing YouTube in total user minutes for the youngest generation (2-18 year-olds). The study reveals kids are spending 60% more time on TikTok compared to YouTube. Is there any wonder why YouTube launched its Shorts feature to compete?
The study was conducted by parent control software maker Qustodio and surveyed the media habits of over 400,000 families and schools. The annual report reveals that children aged 4-18 spent 112 minutes daily on TikTok in 2023—an increase over the 107 minutes reported in 2022. While YouTube still remains king among streaming, it shows TikTok’s short-form video format is catching up.
The Qustodio data is based on real-world usage across mobile and desktop devices with deep-dives into select markets including the United States, the United Kingdom, Spain, Australia, and France. It’s a unique slice of what families and kids are doing with their time—as long as they use the Qustodio parental control software.
The report also reveals that kids spent 27% more time watching streaming services in 2023 compared to 2022. Most of that viewership appears to have been split between YouTube and TikTok, as Netflix viewership declined 4% in 2023, Disney+ declined 23%, and Hulu declined 12%. Meanwhile, YouTube and YouTube kids grew 14% globally—reaching the highest figure yet since Qustodio began collecting data in 2019.
When it comes to social media, TikTok is by far the most popular among the youngest cohort, with 44% saying they use TikTok in some form. Surprisingly the second-most popular social network was Facebook (38%), X/Twitter (38%), Reddit (32%), Instagram (32%), and Pinterest (31%). What’s interesting about X/Twitter is that 38% of the younger demographic began using it after the rebrand—up 30% compared to 2022 numbers.
TIkTok usage time for this age group was 112 minutes per day, compared to Instagram (63 minutes), Facebook (19 minutes), Pinterest (16 minutes), X/Twitter (10 minutes), and Reddit (9 minutes). The report also highlights how Roblox has become an important avenue in reaching young people due to the amount of time they spend with the game.
Among gaming apps, 48% of kids interacted with Roblox for an average of 130 minutes per day across the globe. The most popular games after that include Minecraft, Among Us, Clash Royale, Stumble Guys, and Magic Tiles 3. Of those titles, only Roblox has the potential to reach such a broad audience with its user-generated content.
