AI, socials & short-form content: how kids are consuming media in 2024

Children are accessing the internet from a younger age

According to the report, five-to-seven-year-olds are becoming increasingly present online, which may pose greater risks for them. Compared to last year, a higher proportion of 5-7 year olds are using apps/sites to do the following:

_{Fig 1. 5-7 year old usage figures for messaging, social media apps, livestreaming apps/sites and gaming online.}

Life online presents both opportunities and risks

There are many benefits for children and young people being online.  It offers them a place to explore their interests, learn, connect with others and get creative.  Indeed, the report highlights that almost all (99%) 12-17-year-olds see benefits of being online, including getting help with their school/homework (80%), finding useful information about any problems they may have (59%) and learning a new skill (52%).  

The online world makes it easier for some children and young people to connect with like-minded individuals, and many 11-18 year olds say that they feel more confident communicating online than in person.  This is particularly the case for 11-18 year olds identifying as LGBTQ+.

Reassuringly, 72% of 8-17 year olds who use messaging/social media sites or apps say they feel safe when using these apps/online sites, either all or most of the time.  However, Ofcom is keen to highlight the fact that the online space is a risky environment for children:

 A third (32%) of 8-17s say they have seen something worrying or nasty online in the past 12 months, but only 20% of parents of children in this age group report their child telling them they had seen something online that scared or upset them in the same time frame. The likelihood of children seeing this type of content increases with age; just over a third of 12-17s say they have been exposed to this type of content in the past year (34%) compared to 28% of 8-11-year-olds.

The ‘real me’ and the ‘edited me’

Amongst 8-17 year olds with profiles on social media, video sharing platforms or messaging platforms, nearly six in ten said they used more than one profile on any particular social media app/site.  These children and young people are choosing to have different profiles for different audiences e.g. having one just for parents/family to see and another for friends.  Some explained that one profile was for the ‘real me’ whereas another profile was used for more edited/filtered content that they were willing to share with others.

Differentiating between real and fake social media posts

12-17 year olds in one of the studies were shown both a genuine social media post and a fake social media post and were asked if they thought they were genuine or not.  Almost all (95%) identified the real post as genuine, but fewer were able to spot the signs of the fake post.  Whilst 69% correctly identified the fake profile, the remainder either thought it was genuine or they did not know.  Overall, this demonstrates good levels of critical understanding, but there is a sub-set of teenagers lacking either the confidence or the knowledge to spot fake posts.

Dramatic & loud short-form content

Continuing the trend from last year, the content children and young people are watching online is often dramatic, loud and fast-paced. High-energy, choppy editing styles grab and maintain children’s attention. Ofcom’s qualitative Children’s Media Lives** study suggests that children prefer to watch short-form video content on social media rather than watching full shows and films on TV, and this echoes our own research findings.

If you want to know what children and young people think about your brand or services, please contact Helen Menzies at hmenzies@djsresearch.com.