Kaspersky Safe Kids’ recent study highlights trends in children’s online searches, revealing popular gaming bloggers, new viral memes, shifts in music preferences, and pre-release interest in a horror game. The report also underscores the importance of parental involvement in regulating children’s digital behavior.
5 June 2024 – A recent Kaspersky Safe Kids study has revealed the latest trends in children’s online searches, highlighting the continued popularity of gaming bloggers SSundee, Aphmau, and KreekCraft. Notably, the meme “Gegagedigedagedago” has become a viral sensation. In an unexpected shift, BABYMONSTER has overtaken BTS as the preferred music group among young audiences. In animation, “My Story Animated” emerged as the most searched cartoon. Furthermore, the yet-to-be-released horror game “Subliminal” has captured significant interest globally.
Kaspersky’s report, “Raising the Smartphone Generation,” emphasizes that 87% of parents worldwide feel responsible for regulating their children’s digital activities. The annual review by Kaspersky aims to help parents manage their children’s online engagement more effectively by analyzing anonymized search data from Kaspersky Safe Kids users on both mobile (Android) and desktop (Windows) platforms.
The study found that YouTube is the most popular app among children, representing 28% of Android app usage, followed by TikTok and WhatsApp at 15% each, and Instagram at 9%. On Windows devices, children spend most of their time on Google Chrome (36%), Microsoft Edge (13%), and Microsoft Office (10%). These trends on YouTube reflect key interests, with gaming influencers receiving 21% of search requests. SSundee, Aphmau, and KreekCraft remain the top gaming bloggers, while MrBeast, SSSniperWolf, and Sidemen lead in non-gaming content.
Children also showed a keen interest in sports, particularly soccer, football, and the NBA, with these topics dominating both YouTube and Google search queries. Memes continue to be a significant part of children’s online culture, with the “Gegagedigedagedago” meme, a Roblox Male Face meme set to “Cotton Eye Joe,” becoming particularly noteworthy.
In terms of music, BABYMONSTER’s “SHEESH” and JoJo Siwa’s “Karma” are trending, with K-pop band BLACKPINK and Taylor Swift being the most searched performers. Surprisingly, BTS has seen a decline, trailing behind Olivia Rodrigo and Kanye West in search requests. Phonk remains the favorite music genre among kids.
When it comes to visual entertainment, children predominantly search for cartoons and TV shows. “My Story Animated,” “1 Second from Animated Movies,” and “Hazbin Hotel” are the most requested cartoons, while series like “Dhar Mann Studios,” “Queen of Tears,” and the Netflix adaptation of “Avatar: The Last Airbender” are highly popular.
An intriguing trend is the pre-release popularity of the horror game “Subliminal,” based on the Backrooms concept and featuring real-time software ray-traced horror-puzzle gameplay. Despite not being officially released, it has already garnered significant attention.
Anna Larkina, a web-content analyst expert at Kaspersky, noted the stability in children’s preferences and the rise in seasonal trends linked to new games, music, and movies. These insights can help parents engage with their children’s interests, fostering better relationships and understanding. To ensure a positive online experience for children, Kaspersky recommends parental involvement in online activities, the use of digital parenting apps, engaging conversations about cybersecurity, and guiding children through privacy settings.
