Once-dominant YouTube no longer kids' favourite website

Snapchat has overtaken YouTube as kids' favourite, finds new CHILDWISE Playground Buzz report

Posted by Hannah Vickers | June 02, 2017 | Technology

• #youtube
• #snapchat
• #childwise
• #playground-buzz
• #helena-dare-edwards

New data has found that the previously dominant Youtube has been overtaken by Snapchat as the favourite website/app amongst children.

The CHILDWISE Playground Buzz report looks at the most recently talked about and favourite brands among children in the UK and has a sample of more than a thousand 7-16-year-olds. The report is released three times a year, coinciding with the academic school term. It tracks data on which brands are gaining and falling in popularity among children.

“In recent waves of the research, ‘favourite website/app’ has been the most stable list with the top five unchanged, and YouTube has been number one for two solid years,” says Helena Dare-Edwards, researcher at Childwise.

“But, this term big changes are afoot, as YouTube makes way for Snapchat to claim the top spot. Minecraft drops to an all-time low at number eight as Roblox takes its place at number five. Netflix is also making headway, returning at number seven after a brief appearance in spring/summer 2015.”

Perhaps the over-familiarity with YouTube means that it is becoming less of an exciting place to visit and more an essential, but easily overlooked, part of their everyday lives - Helena Dare-Edwards, researcher at Childwise

“We know from our Monitor Report that almost all children use YouTube, with half using daily, so perhaps this over-familiarity means that it is becoming less of an exciting place to visit and more an essential, but easily overlooked, part of their everyday lives” adds Helena.

“In terms of brands that children are talking about in the playground, YouTube is also no longer top as 7-16s are more likely to be talking about Xbox, FIFA and Pokémon” she adds.

Xbox was the number one brand talked about in the playground throughout 2015, and has reclaimed this position again in spring 2017. It briefly slipped to number five last term after a two-term reign in second place. The Pokémon brand, which also includes trading cards, animated TV series and Nintendo DS games manages to hold on in the list at number three. This is despite few recent mentions of the Pokémon Go augmented reality game.

After showing signs of recovery last term, Minecraft slips to number five. Online sandbox game Roblox finally enters the list as it surges in popularity, flying straight in at number seven. SpongeBob SquarePants came top of the list of favourite children’s TV programmes, followed by Pretty Little Liars, The Walking Dead, The Simpsons, Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, Match of the Day, The Flash, Hollyoaks, Teen Wolf and with Family Guy at number 10.

The research is conducted online via the CHILDWISE Schools Panel of over a thousand schools across the UK. The report is designed to give insight into the behaviours and attitudes of young people across age and gender.

“Understanding the ever-changing interests of children can help organisations and brands tailor their products and promotion to gain competitive advantage,” says Helena.

“Playground Buzz provides up-to-date information on which brands children are talking about, and which they have the strongest affiliations with.”

“The results are split by gender and age to highlight the differences of interest among children depending upon their demographic. The report highlights new brands which could gain in popularity, alongside most established and regularly used brands,” she adds.

“Children were surveyed using the CHILDWISE Schools Panel. Interviewing children in school ensures a robust sample, representative of the entire child population, and allows children to express their views free from parental influence” says Helena.

CHILDWISE Playground Buzz is available from the CHILDWISE website.