TikTok's Success Unstoppable Among Kids and Teens

  • 08-02-2023 |
  • Amelia Bradford

TikTok has cemented itself as the most popular app among children and teens for another year in a row. According to an annual study of app usage and behavior, since June 2020, TikTok has consistently surpassed daily minutes spent on YouTube, Netflix, and other social media sites. 

Data from parental control software maker Qustodio shows that, on average, minors aged 4 to 18 spend 82 minutes on TikTok versus 75 minutes on YouTube. This past year, that gulf widened, as the average daily use of TikTok rose to 107 minutes, while time spent watching video content on YouTube remained stagnant at 67 minutes. These numbers are nothing to scoff at, especially when placed side by side with Snapchat's 72 minutes, Instagram's 45 minutes, Facebook's 20 minutes, Pinterest's 16 minutes, and Twitter's 10 minutes. 

In the U.S. market, numbers were even more impressive, with 113 minutes spent on TikTok, 77 minutes on YouTube, 52 minutes on Netflix, 90 minutes on Snapchat, and 20 minutes on Pinterest. While YouTube saw an increase in average daily time spent by 20%, the same could not be said for Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, both of which saw decreased usage by 15%. Meanwhile, Twitch saw a 5% decrease in the number of under-18-year-olds tuning in. 

The younger demographic has likely fuelled TikTok's immense rise in popularity, as overall, kids under 18 increased their video content viewing by 18% in 2022 to 45 minutes daily, on average.

However, Big Tech giants are attempting to combat this threat with their own version of short-form video. YouTube Shorts has already garnered 50 billion daily views, and Instagram's Reels have been crammed into the experience, despite its backlash. While the success of Reels is yet to be determined, it is clear that none of these efforts can compete with TikTok's impressive market share and mindshare, especially when considering the amount of time this demographic is willing to spend using the app.