Born connected - The rise of the AI generation
Born connected
How do the youngest generations see the digital world, and the changes it currently faces? What challenges families as they keep their children safe in an online society?

The full picture of 2023’s screen time, entertainment, social media, gaming and educational trends, explored globally and across five major markets.

Born connected

In this report

1.   BORN CONNECTED: THE RISE OF THE AI GENERATION

2.   OUR CONNECTED WORLD: FAMILIES IN 2023

3.   KIDS AND APP USE IN 2023

4.   ONLINE VIDEO

5.   SOCIAL MEDIA

6.   GAMING

7.   EDUCATION

8.   COMMUNICATION

9.   THE FINAL WORD

ABOUT THIS REPORT
Trends come and go, and the youngest among us often adapt to the latest changes quicker than others – especially online. Five years ago, we decided to investigate how young people were using technology, exploring the apps they used to gain insight into daily habits, emerging trends, and ongoing interests

This yearly comparison provides insight into the trends shaping future generations. This re­port looks into how kids and teens used online tools and applications across 2023, while also comparing kids’ most-loved applications over a three-year period, starting in 2021 and fi­nishing in 2023. Following in the footsteps of our previous reports, we have investigated chil­dren’s app use globally and in specific major markets: the United States, United Kingdom, Spain, and Australia. For 2023, we have also ex­tended our research to include the habits of children in France, offering a fresh perspective on how children across the world make use of technology.

Our research focuses on children’s app use across five popular categories – online video, social media, gaming, education, and communication. In each category, we present graphs and information detailing the most popular apps based on the percentage of chil­dren using them and the time they spent on each. In addition, we break down the overall time spent on apps per category, and the apps that families most frequently blocked in 2023.

In order to provide a deeper view of children’s technology use across the years, our report also features a historical data annex for reference, showcasing collective insights from all yearly Qustodio reports. In the annex, we detail the time spent on online video, social media, gaming, education, and communication apps year over year, kids’ most popular apps within each category and the time they spent on them, and parents’ most blocked apps. This annex will continue to be updated on a year­ly basis to highlight chang­ing digital trends as time progresses.

Our report also includes fin­dings on parents’, guar­dians’, and children’s views regarding how pa­rental control and technology fits into their daily family lives. It reveals how parents and guardians monitor and manage their chil­dren’s wellbeing, combining technology and their preferred parenting methods to raise a generation born as digital natives.

Born connected
ABOUT QUSTODIO

Founded in 2012 by cyber-security experts Eduardo Cruz, Josep Gaspar, and Josh Gabel, Qustodio is the global leader in online safety and digital wellbeing for families. In 2022, Qustodio became part of the Qoria group, protecting every child’s digital journey through a world-class collaboration between schools, parents, and educators in cyber safety. Qoria’s mission is to support families and schools to live and navigate smarter in an increasingly connected world. Together, we help millions of families and educators across the globe protect children from online harm, while promoting healthy digital habits and awareness.

Methodology

Born connected: The rise of the AI generation is based on anonymous app and online tool usage, provided from over 400,000 families with children aged 4-18 from around the world. It reveals children’s online app habits on mobile devices and desktop devices, from January 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023, compared with information from the same period across 2022 and 2021. Our additional data annex extends this comparison to 2019 and 2020. Our findings assess global use, in addition to more localized insights from children in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Spain, and Australia.

To further explore children’s online habits, we have divided device usage insights across five popular app categories: online video, social media, gaming, education, and communication. Some types of application are frequent multi-taskers, easily fitting into more than one category. For the sake of simplicity, we have chosen just one category per app. For example, while YouTube allows users to comment and encourages social sharing, we have classified it as online video, along with other live video streaming services such as Twitch. 

To provide a better picture of the apps and platforms kids are using, our research excludes game launchers such as Epic Games Launcher and Steam, email platforms like Gmail or apps native to specific devices like Phone and FaceTime. Finally, due to the age-inappropriate nature of gambling applications, we have excluded them from our research entirely.

The way that applications are used can also change from one year to the next, which is why we occasionally make updates to our app category classification. This year, we made the decision to remove Snapchat from the social media category, placing it in communication instead, as we believe this more accurately reflects the way children are using the platform and how Snapchat has now come to be viewed in 2023.

In addition, while the format of Twitter is currently evolving, we have classified it as primarily a social network, simply choosing to refer to it as X in this report for the year 2023, and Twitter for the years prior.  

SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES, BUILDING SAFER ONLINE SPACES

 Our aim with this report is not only to provide insight into how children explore and navigate applications on personal devices, but also to give visibility to devices used during school hours, and the tools students are using in a classroom setting. In order to highlight this, we have also explored the popularity of educational apps and websites used in a classroom setting, with insights provided from the wider Qoria group, scaling 10,000 schools globally. 

In addition, in order to better understand how families view and manage technology in their daily lives, we have included information taken from a survey of 950 parents currently using our parental control tools. The parents surveyed were between the ages of 25 and 65, and had at least one child between the ages of 4 and 18 living in their household. 

Finally, our report includes individual insights from 100 children aged 10-13, who we interviewed to share their unique understanding of their digital lives and online experiences. We would like to extend our gratitude to the many parents, guardians, and children who helped contribute to this report.

Our connected world: Families in 2023

Our connected world:
Families in 2023

Connecting to the internet. Going online. How long before these terms become obsolete? In today’s world, where most of the population – including its youngest generation – can simply reach into their pocket for their smartphone, there’s no distinction between on and offline. The two have become so intertwined that talking about the difference between them is hardly worth it.

We talk online, learn and explore online, and are entertained online, for hours of the day. Society’s youngest members were simply brought into the world this way – born digital, born connected. Long gone are the days where you’d have to announce your desired presence on the internet: “Mom, can you get off the phone? I said I’d meet my friends on AOL!”

Born connected

Qustodio parent survey 2023: demographics

Qustodio parent survey 2023: demographics
Born connected
This constant access to connectivity, with no obvious line in the sand, is both a blessing and a curse in many ways. Technology is convenient, opening the door to new opportunities, and a myriad of avenues to explore, more than we ever thought possible as children. But for families, navigating the new dangers that come with this connected world is no mean feat. Even the youngest members of the family can’t sit too comfortably. As artificial intelligence technology rapidly develops, and is quickly adopted as a tool by almost every single app and program they have access to, the next level of the internet is already upon us, bringing new adventures, but a whole host of new risks, too.

Some dangers are the same faced by other generations – millennials grew up with the internet, after all – but when it comes to parenting, adults are all in this together. We’ve never collectively raised children who can carry the internet with them, wherever they go. In addition, AI tools, and the endless possibilities they lie out for us, are brand new for everyone. We have yet to see their long-term effect on our world, both on and off the internet.

To understand how families are navigating this new dynamic, we wanted to speak to parental figures and guardians looking to keep their loved ones safe in a digital world, while also hearing from the children currently growing up in it. Our parent survey, focusing on 950 parents and guardians using parental control and digital wellbeing tools, uncovers some of the answers, and explores what families prioritize as they work to keep their children safe online.

Across 2023, we also interviewed over 100 teens and tweens, allowing them to share their experiences with technology, social media, artificial intelligence, and how their families look out for them online. Their reflections can be found throughout this report, along with opinions and input from parents, giving an inside perspective on how families share, learn, and grow with technology in the digital age.

Families and technology in 2023

The ideal age for parental controls is from whenever you give them access to a device, without you being with them.

– Parent of two, 46

I don’t care that I’m supervised as I know what I’m doing is OK. It’s other people I worry about. I don’t want to get hurt. 

– Girl, 12

Having children in your household automatically makes you more likely to own a tablet. 75% of US families with children under 5 have one in their home, as opposed to just 57% of households with no children. With devices such as tablets and laptops so commonplace in the home, it stands to reason that children are using them just as much as adults, if not more – and that parents want to keep these children safe as they explore with technology. Parental control tools have become an integral part of digital life for such families, as a tailored, easily customizable way for everyone in the family to keep their tech use in check.

In fact, just over 1 in 4 parents (28%) believe that the ideal age to start using parental controls on children’s devices is under 3, an age many toddlers are introduced to screen time through TV, tablets, and YouTube videos streamed from a parent’s smartphone.

The majority of families, however, look to parental controls during the tween years: with 7-9 and 10-12 being seen as the ideal age to start implementing their use on any devices children use in and out of the home. Almost 25% of parents believe that 7-9 is the right age to start using parental controls with their children, while 22% believe 10-12 is the ideal, coinciding with the average time a child is now given their own cell phone. In 2015, Common Sense Media revealed 41% of children owned a phone by age 12. Now,  according to research from Stanford Medicine, 25% of children receive their own phone by age 10.7, while by age 12.6, this rises to 75% of kids.

Families and technology in 2023

Born connected
I don’t care that I’m supervised as I know what I’m doing is OK. It’s other people I worry about. I don’t want to get hurt. 

– Girl, 12

The ideal age for parental controls is from whenever you give them access to a device, without you being with them.

– Parent of two, 46

Having children in your household automatically makes you more likely to own a tablet. 75% of US families with children under 5 have one in their home, as opposed to just 57% of households with no children. With devices such as tablets and laptops so commonplace in the home, it stands to reason that children are using them just as much as adults, if not more – and that parents want to keep these children safe as they explore with technology. Parental control tools have become an integral part of digital life for such families, as a tailored, easily customizable way for everyone in the family to keep their tech use in check.

In fact, just over 1 in 4 parents (28%) believe that the ideal age to start using parental controls on children’s devices is under 3, an age many toddlers are introduced to screen time through TV, tablets, and YouTube videos streamed from a parent’s smartphone.

The majority of families, however, look to parental controls during the tween years: with 7-9 and 10-12 being seen as the ideal age to start implementing their use on any devices children use in and out of the home. Almost 25% of parents believe that 7-9 is the right age to start using parental controls with their children, while 22% believe 10-12 is the ideal, coinciding with the average time a child is now given their own cell phone. In 2015, Common Sense Media revealed 41% of children owned a phone by age 12. Now,  according to research from Stanford Medicine, 25% of children receive their own phone by age 10.7, while by age 12.6, this rises to 75% of kids.

I think that parental controls should be used from the moment a child has access to a device, including their parents’, or their siblings.

– Parent of one, 50

At what age do you think is the ideal to start using parental controls on children’s devices?

Born connected
Online risks
My parents told me people could steal my data or photos, and that I shouldn’t talk to strangers.
I would prefer to have no limits and that they don’t ask me what I’m looking at.

– Girl, 11

My parents told me people could steal my data or photos, and that I shouldn’t talk to strangers.
I would prefer to have no limits and that they don’t ask me what I’m looking at.

– Girl, 11

Before I gave my daughter her phone, I took her for a chat with a police officer about the risks the internet poses. It definitely had an impact on her and she was more aware after it.

– Parent of one, 50

Before I gave my daughter her phone, I took her for a chat with a police officer about the risks the internet poses. It definitely had an impact on her and she was more aware after it.

– Parent of one, 50

Online risks:

the landscape in 2023

Behind the need for parental controls lies risk: with 70% of parents preferring to use these tools before children are 10 years old, parental controls are a way for families to help protect their children from many of the dangers associated with technology and the internet.

When considering what motivated them to monitor their child or children’s devices, parents ranked frequent online harms in the order of most to least worrying. Exposure to adult content or pornography was parents’ main concern, closely followed by online predation: both harms that children are becoming more easily exposed to as they explore online. In the US, more than half of teens (51%) report being exposed to porn accidentally simply by clicking a link, while over in the UK, online grooming crimes rose by over 80% between 2017 and 2022. Keeping children safe from harm, especially when they have no control over their exposure to it, is a high priority for concerned parents.

Born connected
Online risks
We read books and articles, and I let them watch news stories where they can see what happens if they’re not careful with their personal information online. I want them to understand what’s dangerous and what can be shown to the world.

– Parent of one, 50

Problematic internet use also motivated pa­rents to protect their children’s de­vices: Online addiction ranked as their num­ber 3 concern, while issues frequently surrounding social media ranked in spots 4-6: cyberbullying, social media use, and con­cerns about mental health.

Ranking in the bottom positions were wellbeing concerns such as sleep problems and concentration issues, despite evidence showing increased phone usage among young people and adolescents is associated with a higher likelihood of experiencing sleep issues. Collectively, parents placed online privacy as their lowest priority when it came to monitoring their children’s devices.

There’s nothing I worry about. Well, maybe my battery running out. I feel safe when my parents supervise me although I’d like to use it longer.

– Boy, 10

We read books and articles, and I let them watch news stories where they can see what happens if they’re not careful with their personal information online. I want them to understand what’s dangerous and what can be shown to the world.

– Parent of one, 50

Problematic internet use also motivated pa­rents to protect their children’s de­vices: Online addiction ranked as their num­ber 3 concern, while issues frequently surrounding social media ranked in spots 4-6: cyberbullying, social media use, and con­cerns about mental health.

Ranking in the bottom positions were wellbeing concerns such as sleep problems and concentration issues, despite evidence showing increased phone usage among young people and adolescents is associated with a higher likelihood of experiencing sleep issues. Collectively, parents placed online privacy as their lowest priority when it came to monitoring their children’s devices.

There’s nothing I worry about. Well, maybe my battery running out. I feel safe when my parents supervise me although I’d like to use it longer.

– Boy, 10

Born connected
I’m not worried about anything. My parents always look at sites I use to make sure they are safe.
I don’t care if my mom supervises me. She wants to make sure I’m safe.

– Boy, 10

I’m not worried about anything. My parents always look at sites I use to make sure they are safe.
I don’t care if my mom supervises me. She wants to make sure I’m safe.

– Boy, 10

Building safer spaces:
Digital tools for digital families

How do parental control tools help your family
How do parental control tools help your family?

Many families turn to parental controls as a di­gi­tal solution to a constantly connected en­viron­ment. While there’s no clear divide for youn­ger people between the on and offline world, device use is still mostly an extremely per­­sonal, and solitary experience – meaning pa­rents look for ways to understand how their children are engaging with technology. 76% of pa­rents assert that parental control tools give them more visibility of their child’s digital life.

Families also look to build routines and atti­tu­des surrounding technology that will stick with their children long after they have flown the nest. A further 76% of parents acknowledge that using parental control tools helps to en­courage building healthier screen time habits and routines for their family.

Parental control tools also help families in other technology-related matters. 44% of parents report that monitoring tools guide them to have better conversations about digital life, with a further 38% noting their contribution to managing and reducing family conflict. 43% of parents assert parental controls help their children to concentrate and focus on their responsibilities, whether in or out of the home.

Parental control tools also help families in other technology-related matters. 44% of parents report that monitoring tools guide them to have better conversations about digital life, with a further 38% noting their contribution to managing and reducing family conflict. 43% of parents assert parental controls help their children to concentrate and focus on their responsibilities, whether in or out of the home.

Sleep is a key factor in a child’s development, focus, and attention, and technology use has been linked to a negative effect on sleep quality, from exposure to the blue light devices emit. 2 out of every 5 parents surveyed noticed that using parental controls as an aid helped improve their child’s sleep and sleep routines.

Sometimes I think it’s good that they supervise me, but other times I get mad because my friends are still online and I have to get off so my sister can use it.

– Boy, 10

Building safer spaces:
Digital tools for digital families

How do parental control tools help your family
Born connnected

Sometimes I think it’s good that they supervise me, but other times I get mad because my friends are still online and I have to get off so my sister can use it.

– Boy, 10

Many families turn to parental controls as a digital solution to a constantly connected environment. While there’s no clear divide for younger people between the on and offline world, device use is still mostly an extremely personal, and solitary experience – meaning parents look for ways to understand how their children are engaging with technology. 76% of parents assert that parental control tools give them more visibility of their child’s digital life

Families also look to build routines and attitudes surrounding technology that will stick with their children long after they have flown the nest. A further 76% of parents acknowledge that using parental control tools helps to encourage building healthier screen time habits and routines for their family.

Parental control tools also help families in other technology-related matters. 44% of parents report that monitoring tools guide them to have better conversations about digital life, with a further 38% noting their contribution to managing and reducing family conflict. 43% of parents assert parental controls help their children to concentrate and focus on their responsibilities, whether in or out of the home.

Sleep is a key factor in a child’s development, focus, and attention, and technology use has been linked to a negative effect on sleep quality, from exposure to the blue light devices emit. 2 out of every 5 parents surveyed noticed that using parental controls as an aid helped improve their child’s sleep and sleep routines.

When it comes to building these habits and routines, however, tools are just that: a set of features and options that families have at their disposal. What’s important for families is how these tools are used, and which parents and guardians are opting for when building safe online spaces.

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Born connected
What do you use parental controls for?
Born connected
We read books and articles, and I let them watch news stories where they can see what happens if they’re not careful with their personal information online. I want them to understand what’s dangerous and what can be shown to the world.

– Parent of one, 50

We read books and articles, and I let them watch news stories where they can see what happens if they’re not careful with their personal information online. I want them to understand what’s dangerous and what can be shown to the world.

– Parent of one, 50

The majority of families – a notable 89% – use parental controls to filter and block inappropriate content on their children’s devices, closely followed by monitoring their children’s overall screen time, something which 85% of parents opt to do.

Parents look to personalize a device in order to keep their children safe as they browse, while also ensuring they have screen downtime, either on a daily or weekly basis: 83% of fami­lies make use of tools to set individual limits on applications, such as restricting time on games and social media, and a further 80% of families set uniform weekly or daily time limits across children’s devices.

Aside from building routines, parents look out for their children’s wellbeing in other ways, mostly relating to their safety outside of the home. Half of parents (53%) use monitoring tools to keep an eye on their child’s location, such as when on the way to school or out with friends on the weekend. As a potential measure against parents’ 4th biggest online concern, cyberbullying, 1 in 4 parents choose to track messages on devices, while 19% opt to screen calls, and block certain numbers entirely.

It’s normal that [my parents] want to protect me and want me to do other things than go online, there are people out there who want to hurt us.

– Boy, 10

It’s normal that [my parents] want to protect me and want me to do other things than go online, there are people out there who want to hurt us.

– Boy, 10

Parenting: Tech free
approaches

 

Tech-free parenting

Parenting: Tech free
approaches

 

Combined with parental controls, what other methods do you use to help keep your child(ren) safe on their devices?

Born connected

It’s not only digital tools that parents use to keep their children safe as they explore and enjoy devices. Families combine digital tools with family management strategies, the majority of which implicate increased involvement from a parent or guardian.

Most families prioritize dialogue over all other methods, with 87% of parents reporting that they have regular discussions with their children about online habits and behavior. In line with the American Academy of Pediatrics’ recommendations on restricting daily video game time, 2nd in the list of strategies parents use to keep their children safe comes limiting game console time.

 

I promote doing outside activities and sports with my child, and do it together with them.

– Parent of one, 43

I promote doing outside activities and sports with my child, and do it together with them.

– Parent of one, 43

Some families opt to watch content or play video games together, with 42% of parents relating that they co-watch content with their child or children. Fewer parents get involved in their children’s gaming habits, with 18% stating they co-play video games with them to help keep them safe as they explore devices. 

A third of parents prefer device use to be kept to common areas only, meaning technology use is restricted to family areas such as the living room, kitchen, or places where all family members have access. Just 10% of parents actively sit with their child as they use the internet, while 7% of parents stated they use other methods to keep their children safe, such as ensuring their children have tech-free activities to keep them occupied, or keeping devices out of kids’ bedrooms at night.

To help keep your child or children safe as they use their devices, have you ever done any of the following?

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We don’t allow our kids to have their devices in their bedrooms overnight.

– Parent of two, 50

We don’t allow our kids to have their devices in their bedrooms overnight.

– Parent of two, 50

Whether as punishment or as part of regular routine, removing devices altogether is a popular option for many caregivers: 88% of parents report having removed devices from their children at specific times of the day (such as meal or bedtimes), while a further 80% of parents report taking devices away from their child, or restricting their children’s online privileges as a repercussion for their actions.

Most parents, however, prefer to keep their children’s social lives private: just under a third of parents follow their own children on social media, while only 1 in 5 parents has ever logged in to their child’s social media profile in an attempt to keep them safe online.
We have no electronics week every three weeks. NO devices at all for a full week. We call it digital detox. It’s amazing the productivity that occurs that week. All the tasks suddenly get done and toys suddenly get played with.

– Parent of one, 43

We have no electronics week every three weeks. NO devices at all for a full week. We call it digital detox. It’s amazing the productivity that occurs that week. All the tasks suddenly get done and toys suddenly get played with.

– Parent of one, 43

Born connected, growing connected

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Born connected
I don’t worry about anything online. If I did, I’d ask my parents. I don’t really like that they supervise me but when I’m older they won’t need to.

– Boy, 12

I don’t worry about anything online. If I did, I’d ask my parents. I don’t really like that they supervise me but when I’m older they won’t need to.

– Boy, 12

What do you think is an appropriate age for parents to stop monitoring children’s activity online?
Born connected
It can be difficult to know when the right age is to allow free digital reign across all devices. Even as a child enters legal adult age, which for most countries in the world is 18, their brain still isn’t fully developed: the prefrontal cortex, responsible for decision-making, prio­ritizing, and planning, is the last part of the brain to mature, usually in the mid-20s. This could be why for most parents, the right age to stop monitoring their child’s activity online is 18 and beyond, coinciding with the legal age of adulthood. 68% of parents believe that 18+ is the ideal age to stop monitoring children’s online activities.
The next biggest group comes at a different stage of teenage maturity, often associated with coming of age: 15% of parents believe that 16 is the ideal age to stop monitoring online activity, followed by just 9% of parents for 17-year-olds. Barely any participants believed that under-16s were ready to be given free reign in the digital world: only 7% of parents thought that children aged 15 or younger could use devices without any form of online monitoring.

Monitoring, from home

to the classroom

Device use at school
Are any of your children required to use a device for school?
Device use at school

Monitoring, from home to the classroom

Born connected

As device penetration increases in schools from year to year, so too does the need for di­gital monitoring and appropriate technology safety measures in education. 72% of children now use some form of digital device for school: 28% bringing their own device from home to school, versus 44% of children who are provided with a device by the school.

With technology use in the classroom growing, there is increasing need for a school-home connection that keeps children’s use of educational devices safe and productive, wherever they travel. From the UK’s Department of Education setting specific filtering and monitoring standards for students, to Spain’s nationwide effort to install Digital Wellbeing Coordinators in schools, educational institutions are working harder everywhere to keep technology safe as children learn.

At school we don’t have any books, just tablets. I’m used to it now, it’s faster and I don’t have to write as much. Plus we save paper.

– Boy, 13

At school we don’t have any books, just tablets. I’m used to it now, it’s faster and I don’t have to write as much. Plus we save paper.

– Boy, 13

Born connected
What type of digital wellbeing support is available at your child(ren)’s school?
Digital wellbeing at school

When asked what measures their child’s school had put in place to keep them safe on educational devices, and to support children’s digital wellbeing, most schools (56%) were reported to use a blocking and filtering system to limit content accessed on the school network. The next most common digital wellbeing support that parents reported was the prevention of phones in the classroom: 54% of parents report that their child’s school prevents the use of cell phones altogether

Classroom management systems can allow teachers to actively monitor student devices during class: for example, viewing students’ screens in real time, or locking screens on a specific URL. However, just 20% of parents report that their children’s teachers are able to manage student devices in the classroom using this kind of system.

Other methods focusing less on device removal or active filtering proved less popular in an educational setting: 24% of parents reported that their child’s school helps educate parents on digital habits for children, with the same number also reporting that their children were following a digital citizenship curriculum. 

Often, parents are unaware of the security systems or digital wellbeing practices put in place by their child’s school: 19% of parents reported that they don’t know if any digital wellbeing support is actually available at their child’s school. Family support for managing school devices is also lacking in many cases: just 8% of parents state that their child’s school helps them manage educational devices outside of the classroom.

 At school all our textbooks are digital, so we use our laptops every day. My mom doesn’t let me take my phone to school and honestly, better for me.

– Girl, 13

I use a laptop for schoolwork because we homeschool. My mom blocks a lot of sites but I think it is for my own good, a lot of mean people are online. 

– Girl, 12

Born connected
 At school all our textbooks are digital, so we use our laptops every day. My mom doesn’t let me take my phone to school and honestly, better for me.

– Girl, 13

I use a laptop for schoolwork because we homeschool. My mom blocks a lot of sites but I think it is for my own good, a lot of mean people are online. 

– Girl, 12

In addition to existing security measures, adaptation to even newer technologies will also need to be taken into account: with the rise of artificial intelligence, schools around the world are implementing measures to either work with or counter its use, depending on where they stand on the matter.

There’s no doubt that children will be graduating into a world where AI technologies are part of their day to day, and using them effectively and efficiently is a skill educators (and parents alike) need to help young people navigate. In Australia, after initially restricting use of ChatGPT, ministers built a national framework for the tool across 2023, planning to embrace AI in learning early 2024. In late 2023, UNESCO also released global guidance on generative AI in the classroom, working to address both the opportunities and potential harms that these tools could cause in an educational environment.

As more and more children are given access to school devices year after year, the need for digital support systems in education will also continue to grow. Schools and edu­cators are currently working to implement new technologies and methods to help keep children safe online, but with needs and regulations varying greatly in each region of the world, some countries will adapt more quickly than others. As the years go by, we expect that a school-home connection over digital wellbeing and educational device use will grow stronger, but this bridge is still being built and has some way to go.

The future for families

 My teachers don’t like AI tools and they say it’s like copying, but I think they’re pretty useful.

– Girl, 13

Sometimes I think
AI gets it right but sometimes
[the answers] just aren’t believable
at all. 

– Girl, 11

The future for families
Born connected
 Sometimes I think AI gets it right but sometimes [the answers] just aren’t believable at all.

– Girl, 13

My teachers don’t like AI tools and they say it’s like copying, but I think they’re pretty useful.

– Girl, 12

2023’s year in technology was truly defined by AI: across 12 months, artificial intelligence tools experienced an explosion in popularity, becoming much more widely available to anyone and everyone online. Arguably the AI star of the year, ChatGPT wasn’t actually released in 2023, but in late 2022. However, it wasn’t until January of the following year that the hype truly took off, with the tool hitting 100 million users and securing its place as the fastest-growing application in history. Between 2023 and 2030, growth of AI tools is expected to increase by almost 40% per year, showing artificial intelligence is truly here to stay – a technology that young people, and their families alike, need to adapt to before they get left behind.

Despite the sudden boom and media frenzy surrounding AI, 2023 was still a year of adoption and discovery for most. Out of the 200 10-13 year-olds we spoke to, only 6% told us that they actively used AI when asked, but over half responded that they were active on social media.

Born connected

 I use ChatGPT and Bing Chat. I feel that they give good answers to my questions. I love using AI for schoolwork because it makes homework and studying much easier. The only thing I worry about online is giving out personal information.

– Girl, 11

 AI is really useful
and smart, it almost always gets what you’re asking it right.

– Boy, 12

While it’s clear that we are only at the beginning of the AI revolution, it will soon become a reality for the youngest generations: Generation Alpha, and whoever will be the next to follow. Just as younger Baby Boomers, Gen Xers, and growing millennials lived a before and after stage of the internet, the same will be true for society’s younger generations, who will learn and discover in the age of AI. They will navigate new challenges, different risks, and a fresh layer of possibilities that were never considered before them.
The older generations will have to learn and adapt just as quickly, to be able to guide their children and keep them safe in new online environments. Through the eyes of parents, it’s clear that just as devices accompany children at most stages of their development and growth nowadays, monitoring and parental supervision are natural companions too, wherever young people happen to be using technology. Today’s children are indeed born digital, and learn and grow in the intersection of the on and offline worlds, but they’re not alone in their journey: parents and guardians will increasingly be there to help them at every stage of their digital development.
I use ChatGPT and Bing Chat. I feel that they give good answers to my questions. I love using AI for schoolwork because it makes homework and studying much easier. The only thing I worry about online is giving out personal information.

– Girl, 11

2023 and AI: A new horizon

OpenAI in 2023

2023 and AI: A new horizon

With the takeoff of OpenAI, and launch of the ChatGPT app on iOS in May, and Android in July, we decided to explore how 2023’s hottest new arrival fared among children.

Because of the late release of the app, we focused exclusively on use of the OpenAI website, investigating how many children talked to the internet’s new friendly, neighborhood chatbot over the course of the year, and how the site ranked overall in visits compared to other popular websites. Glo­bally, almost 20% of kids accessed OpenAI in 2023, landing it 18th place overall for the year’s most-visited websites. Our investigation also reveals children’s use of OpenAI in the US, UK, Spain, France, and Australia: just how quick on the uptake was each country?

Kids and app use in 2023

Key insights: A year in numbers

Our Annual Data Report looks into how chil­dren are using applications on their personal devices, including smartphones, tablets, and computers, across 5 popular categories. Here are some of the highlights from 2023.Our Annual Data Report looks into how chil­dren are using applications on their personal devices, including smartphones, tablets, and computers, across 5 popular categories. Here are some of the highlights from 2023.
Key insights
Roblox

The daily average play time on the virtual universe of Roblox, a long-term favorite played by 1 in 2 children around the world.

Device use

The total amount of screen time kids spent on personal devices outside school hours, exactly matching last year’s number.

Streaming

The extra time children spent streaming online video services over the course of 2023: favorites included YouTube, Netflix, and Disney+.

Snapchat

The average daily time kids in both the US and Australia spent on Snapchat, topped only by their peers in the UK, who racked up an average of 1h 35 mins “sharing the moment”.

TikTok

The extra time French children spent on TikTok compared to YouTube, scrolling short videos for 110 mins/day versus just 50 spent on longer forms of content.

TikTok

The time kids around the world spent on TikTok over the year, rising to 127 mins/day in the UK, where children hit new heights of TikTok scrolling not seen before in our research.

WhatsApp

The number of children in Spain using WhatsApp: up 4 percentage points from 2022, making them the biggest users of the messaging app from all countries included in our report.

Duolingo

The daily time spent cramming in language practice on kids’ number one learning app, Duolingo.

WhatsApp

The number of children in Spain using WhatsApp: up 4 percentage points from 2022, making them the biggest users of the messaging app from all countries included in our report.

Duolingo

The daily time spent cramming in language practice on kids’ number one learning app, Duolingo.

Research by app category

Online video

Online video

Despite increased monthly fees and crackdowns on password sharing, children still managed to clock up 27% more time watching videos in 2023 than in the previous year. Netflix, Disney+, and Hulu didn’t come out unscathed though; kids spent 4%, 23%, and 12% less time watching these services respectively. They still prefer YouTube, the top choice for video again with 63% of children tuning in. The platform’s sister service, YouTube Kids, proved to be the star with watch time increasing to a record-breaking 96 mins/day.

Social media

Social media

2023 was a tumultuous year for the social media giants; with TikTok’s CEO testifying in US Congress, lawsuits against Meta and ByteDance, new legislation in the UK and France, and a rebrand at Twitter, just to name a few. But far from souring on their socials, children are scrolling, liking, and sharing more than ever. TikTok continues to captivate with kids spending 5% more time scrolling short-form videos than in 2022, and a change of name came with a boost in popularity as Twitter/X saw a 27% increase in use among children.

Gaming

Gaming

Accounting for 1 in every 5 apps downloaded on the Apple Store, people love gaming on the go – but both the popularity of games and the time kids spent playing took a beating in 2023. Children spent 8% less time on gaming apps than in the previous year, with the daily average falling from 38 minutes in 2022 to 35 in 2023. Kids’ favorite Roblox might’ve taken a hit in popularity but it’s still the app that they spent the most time on – across all categories – with an average of 130 minutes invested daily.

Education

Education

Technology continues to change the way we educate with 72% of children now using some form of digital device for school – with the blended learning platform Google Classroom topping the usage chart for the second year running. At home, the learning boom that started during the pandemic seems to have halted with children spending one minute less per day on their favorite learning apps. Kids still love the multilingual owl though as Duolingo remains the most popular learning app – but it’s Quizlet where most children spent their time in 2023, cramming in 10 minutes of gamified study daily.

Communication

Communication

With the pandemic firmly behind us, children have almost turned their back on video call apps entirely; lockdown favorite Zoom has dropped out of all popularity charts, and Skype and Google Duo are close behind. As in 2022, children are spending 39 minutes a day chatting on communication apps with WhatsApp remaining the most popular. Kids spent more time on Snapchat though, snapping away for a new high of 74 mins/day.

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the report

The final word

Just a few short, innocent years ago, when we first started researching and developing our annual report, it was safe to say that families’ main concern surrounding technology was a simple one: screen time. Our insights helped families to understand where children were investing their free time online, giving parents and guardians a clearer picture of what the digital world looked like for their children.

As time passes, however, screen time is taking more of a back seat when considering how to keep our children safe online. What lies be­neath the hours they spend hopping from one device to another? There’s undoubtedly a myriad of fun, learning, and entertainment to be had, but it’s a complex web when you begin to scratch further under the surface: exposure to strangers and cyberbullies, rabbit-holes of harm­ful and inappropriate content, and what could be a lasting effect on children’s mental health.

From the very beginning, Qustodio’s interest in creating these reports has been to inform on trends, helping parents, guardians, and edu­ca­tors understand where children are dedicating their time online, revealing their interests and habits in order to help us work towards creating a balance with technology.

Last year, we indicated that our youngest in society were at the verge of a tipping point, as we all grow to understand better the stressors of constant connection and what growing up in a digital playground really looks like. Now, the dominoes have begun to fall. There are grassroots movements springing up, demanding smartphones be held back until the age of 16. Governments are also playing a role, from state-mandated parental control on SIM cards, to social media companies being held accountable for the effect their applications are having on teens and tweens around the world.

Concerned about the long-term effects, fami­lies are be­coming ever more involved in their children’s digital lives: talking more about men­tal health, accompa­nying them along their journey with technolo­gy, and using tools to keep them safe as they ex­plore a world that seems familiar to us, but which both children and adults alike are con­stantly learning from. What was once an “us ver­sus them” situation for children seems to slow­ly be developing, spin­ning on its heel into a pai­ring of “together”. Families, schools, and children are being brought closer in union, helping keep children safe in the digital age, and facing the novelties as one.

While the push has just begun, much more will continue to come our way: the internet’s next new dawn of artificial intelligence has already broken. Together, we will navigate its ups and downs, discovering the balance, and drawing on our own experience with digital history: what can we do better? How can we use these tools for good? How can we keep one another safe?

In the next few years, we will need to learn how to reach middle ground, unders­tanding the power of technology and how to reap its benefits, while safeguarding from its risks. Through a community of pa­rents, guardians, educators, and the many more looking out for our children, their future in the digital world is not bleak, but bright. It gives us the opportunity to colla­bo­rate, innovate, explore and discover, and above all, do great things – together.

Born connected