Day 2 of KAM Summit saw Dubit global trends SVP David Kleeman and Dubit media insights SVP Adam Woodgate sharing interesting insights on the global trends in the kid’s ecosystem.
They mentioned how explosion in digital equipment has allowed for an increasingly diverse offer, creating new uses and thus helping to push up viewing times across the world. No sector has been more deeply affected by these changes than kids’ TV. While children today, more than ever, can’t get enough of the small screen, the way they watch content is changing fast.
When the COVID-19 pandemic spread and governments worldwide enforced school closure as part of their containment strategy, digital technology and virtual learning played a vital role in ensuring some degree of class continuity. “In India, 93 per cent of the kids have access to TV sets, 24 per cent to tablets, 29 per cent to smartphones, 23 per cent to gaming consoles, and 28 percent to PCs/laptops. 33 per cent of children’s waking time per week in India is spent in using screens, whereas 67 per cent of children’s waking time per week in the United States is spent in using screens,” asserted Adam Woodgate.
Adding to that, their research revealed that parents with young children said that they are anxious about the effects of screen time. 71 per cent of parents of a child under the age of 12 are at least somewhat concerned that their child might spend too much time in front of screens, including 31 per cent who are very concerned about this. Also, some parents with a child in this age range already believe their child spends too much time on certain devices, including a smartphone. Commenting on the kind of content made for them, Woodgate mentioned, “In the preschool years, nearly all top programs are children-specific. For six to 11 year old, older children’s content shares space with kid shows. By the tweens/teen years, children’s content has mostly disappeared.”
The duo mentioned about how the current times have left the young ones exposed to stuff not particularly meant for them. “Because of the pandemic, kids have started to use platforms that are not meant for them, like Zoom and Houseparty. So, it is the company’s responsibility to see whether it is designed for them or not, keeping in mind their safety. The usage of social and gaming apps exploded during the pandemic as the kids used them extensively to stay in touch with their friends who they could not meet personally, to play games together, and to share creative expressions,” said David Kleeman.
Following the pandemic, more than half of the survey’s respondents now shop online more frequently and rely on the internet more for news, health-related information and digital entertainment. Consumers in emerging economies have made the greatest shift to online shopping, the survey shows. “We spoke to parents and they told us that kids find online shopping not as entertaining as going to a toy store because there is less pleasure in discovery,” said Kleeman.
Explaining what kids like the most about the animated content they consume, Woodgate mentioned, “Classic themes drive animation engagement, like the show’s personality or sense of humour and the variety of characters.”
He concluded the informative session with a power-packed statement, “Child development doesn’t change; the context in which the child develops does.”
Watch the entire session here: