New Report Sees Decline in Kids’ YouTube Usage

Amid concerns about the safety of kids’ content on YouTube, a new report from The Insights People indicates that fewer children aged 4 to 12 are using the platform.

The latest edition of Kids Insights data reports that in Q1 this year, 44 percent of the 4-to-12 demo was watching content on YouTube, down from 54 percent in the same period last year. One of the major reasons, the report says, is Netflix—the percentage of this demo using the SVOD service rose from 41 percent to 57 percent in the same time period.

In addition, 34 percent of those surveyed listed Netflix as their favorite platform versus 24 percent for YouTube; a year ago YouTube dominated with 39 percent versus Netflix’s 24 percent. Other platforms are emerging; TikTok is now the most popular platform among girls 9 to 12, alongside YouTube.

“In many ways, YouTube is the nucleus of the kids’ ecosystem,” the report says. “It is the platform on which children tend to congregate—from learning how to crack a computer game level, honing their football skills or watching the latest film trailer—YouTube has it all in abundance. But in recent years, YouTube and device manufacturers have come under increased pressure to protect children from overexposure to YouTube content, and as such, device manufacturers have developed their technology to make it harder for children to binge watch. There are other factors to consider in reviewing why YouTube may start to plateau. Ten years ago, there was a fairly limited choice of social media, with each platform having its own niche. Fast forward to 2019, and there is not only more social media platforms on offer, but the identifying USPs between each platform have become increasingly blurred, as they quickly adopt each other’s technologies.”

The report also ranks kids’ favorite shows, with Peppa Pig dominating for girls 3 to 6 and PAW Patrol leading among boys 3 to 6. For the 7 to 9 set, LEGO Ninjago comes out on top for boys and My Little Pony is the favorite among girls. For older boys, 10 to 12 and 13 to 18, football dominates, while for girls it’s X Factor (10 to 12) and I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! (13 to 18).