How does the younger generation view the digital world and the changes it is going through? What challenges do families face in protecting their sons and daughters in an increasingly connected society? According to a study, adult content and addiction are the main concerns of parents about their minors' digital consumption.
Custodio, The leading platform for online safety and digital well-being for families has presented its annual survey on the digital habits of minors.Born in the Digital Age: The AI Generation'. The report analyzes anonymous information provided by 400,000 households with children aged 4 to 18 in Spain, France, the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia in 2023. The environment, studying the digital profile of parents through 950 individual interviews, and the problems associated with using screens at home.
The appearance of Artificial intelligence In 2023 it is considered as a new sector in the study. The list of categories is complete Video sites, Social websites, Video game applications, Educational applications Y Communication applications. This thorough analysis allows us to provide a complete view of the online profile of the average spender in 2023. 4 hours connected per day For screens outside classrooms as in the previous year.
YouTube consolidates itself as the most used streaming platform
In terms of usage time by category, in the past year, online video tools have increased their usage time by 27% among minors globally, from 45 to 57 minutes per day compared to 2022. In Spain, usage time increases by 30%, going from 30 to 30 39 min/day In 2023. This increase is justified by the increase in usage time on YouTube, as it continues Favorite platform Globally and among younger people at home in Spain, 71% popularity and daily usage time of 44 min/day, same as last year. The Twitch platform managed to increase its usage time slightly, going from 18 to 22 minutes per day. Even so, it remains a very underutilized platform. The usage time of the rest of the sites has decreased slightly. are ahead of Twitch NetflixIt reduced its usage time from 41 to 38 min/day in 2023; Disney PlusIt has gone from 39 to 34 min/day; Amazon Prime40 to 33 minutes/day, and Moviestar Plus29 to 26 min/day.
The experts Custodio They explain it”A good strategy is to learn what interests your children and how they interact View content as a family”. Besides, “Parents are essential Prioritize quality over quantity, for example, by disabling automatic activation or setting daily limits. and ahead Harmful live streamingThat's important Restriction on content consumed by minors“.
Spain is the country that spends the most time on social media
Los Social websites They tend to be where children spend most of their time. By 2023, globally, daily minutes will be a number 52 min/day. Of the five regions analyzed, the country where they spend the most time is Spain 59 min/day. TikTok It continues to be the favorite social network of minors both globally and in our country, but the time they spend using it at the first opportunity is increasing. 107 to 112 minutes/day by 2023In Spain it drops to 2 minutes, going from 94 to 96 min/day. The rest of the platforms increase usage time. so, Instagram Consolidating itself as the second most used social network by Spanish minors, 71 min/day, 27% more than in 2022. behind them Facebook (23 min/day), X (11 min/day), Pinterest (10 min/day) and BeReal (9 min/day).
Considering the high usage statistics, experts Custodio They think it's necessary.”parents Know the trends And help your children Understand the differences between the real and digital world, Also talk to them about social networks Understand how they use them and how they work. It is necessary to make them understand that it is necessary Create a positive space”.
A little less in video games
Los Video game All countries experienced declines. Its popularity is down almost 8% from last year 38 to 35 minutes/day. Although fame Roblox Compared to 2022, it has decreased by 11% globally, to 48%, and its use time is decreasing significantly. 180 to 130 minutes/day, It is the most used and most popular application. In Spain, not only is the first maintained, but the usage time of the following video game is tripled. In our country, Fighting stars Second in use time continues to be the video game 30 min/day2 minutes more compared to 2022, and FIFA Mobile It enters the top 5 as the third video game that minors spend the most time on: 25 min/day. The game of football transcends Clash RoyaleThis reduces your usage time 24 to 21 min/day In a year, already among usIt is maintained over time of use, with 21 min/day.
The experts Custodio advise”With limits, It helps minors Use Responsibly and Protect Your Personal Information, Refraining from making purchases or using chats improperly. It is important for parents to be involved Know the mechanics of video games and how they consume them”.
The use of educational sites continues to decline
Time spent by children Educational applications A global average decline of 14% 6 min/day. Although its use has been decreasing since 2021, the figure in Spain remains the same as last year: 6 min/day. Smartik It continues to be the most used educational tool in Spain and the time of its use will increase and pass 29 to 30 min/day. Behind her: Cahoot! (11 min/day), Duolingo (8 min/day), Photo Math (5 min/day), as the brain (3 min/day) and WordReference (3 min/day).
To promote the use of educational applications, Custodio recommends”Find attractive tools and limit the time you spend with them. Besides, Offline learning “It continues to be a good alternative to consolidate learning.”
Spanish minors spend less time on communication apps
In 2023, the global use of communication tools remains the same 39 min/day, decreased in Spain 12.5%, going from 24 to 21 min/day. Of the five countries analysed, Spain is the country where this figure has fallen the most. For Spanish minors, Share it The main communication application, but its use time has decreased slightly compared to 2022: 32 to 27 min/day. After her, Snapchat Aggregation ranked as the second most used app (23 min/day). Difference of opinion (17 min/day), Microsoft Teams (9 min/day), Skype (8 min/day) and news (1 min/day).
The experts Custodio they warn”Minors should be aware Risks of communication applicationsCyberbullying etc. The instability with which messages are transmitted can be very harmful, Therefore, it is necessary to talk to the minors, use it properly and teach them If you have any problem, you can block or report and encourage Usage of apps according to their age“.
2023, the year of artificial intelligence
The emergence of artificial intelligence is one of the biggest developments of 2023. However, its use ChatGPT Even more modest on the part of minors, with 7 min/day worldwide and 6 min/day in Spain. The rise of artificial intelligence and media hype has increased its popularity globally 19.6% of minors have access to OpenAI in 2023, ranked as the 18th most visited website of the year. In Spain, 21.4% agreed.
Technology and the Family: Digital Coexistence
One party's use of technology is a source of parental concern because of the risks it poses, highlighted Exposure to adult content And this Internet addiction, the risks children are most exposed to. When analyzing families' digital profiles, the report reflects that 87% of fathers and mothers regularly talk to their sons and daughters about their online habits and behaviors. However, 28% believe that is the best age to start using parental controls on children's devices Before 3 years of age, Age at which children start using electronic devices. On the other hand, 68% of families feel that 18 is the best age Stop the monitoring function 15% think 16 is the best age to stop monitoring their sons and daughters' online activity.
Here are some strategies parents use to monitor and control technology use Limit application intervals to avoid excess Y Punish without screens. A third of parents prefer to use devices only in common areas of the house and 81% say they have removed devices from their children as punishment.
to Eduardo Cruz, CEO and Co-Founder Custodio, “Young people are increasingly exposed to the dangers of screens. Their daily lives involve being connected, and as they do so in adolescence, it's important for families to be aware of how they use them and educate them on responsible digitization.
How will young people's digital usage evolve?
The Integration of constant technological advances It refers to the behavior of young people Integration between communication applications and social networks It will change the relationship of young people.
This year Solution and implementation are expected in various fields of artificial intelligence From the world of video games, the possibilities of other forms of interaction are opened, for education, which may have to face the early digitization of children. Although more and more movements are developing against the initial use of screens, these are already part of the daily life of minors, as they use them to learn, socialize and entertain themselves, so it is important for parents to be aware of their use that their children do from platforms.
