Online Communities for American Kids
Delivered October 23, 2019. Contributor: Alexis Z.
Goals
Determine the fastest growing online interests for kids ages 6-12 in the US. For the interests, determine the platforms these interests are popular on and any sub-categories of the topic.
Early Findings
Strict privacy regulations for minors makes it challenging to collect and analyze data specifically for 6-12 year olds. However, based on reports from kid-safe platforms like PopJam, a global platform for those aged 13 and under, general interests can be obtained for kids that apply to kids within the US. Current Trends
- VSCO Girls - VSCO Girls started as an app but has now morphed into a "lifestyle" that involves wearing scrunchies and crop tops and using metal straws and reusable water bottles.
- TikTok Challenges - For the younger crowd, many are watching videos of TikTok Challenges on YouTube, because they are not allowed to use the actual TikTok App.
- Old Town Road - Made popular by Lil Nas X’s Old Town Road version, then made into a TikTok Challenge, and now living on in memes.
- Collections - Rocks, shells, slime, and scrunchies are at the top of the collectibles charts, along with L.O.L. Surprise! figures.
Platforms
Proposed next steps:
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As the initial research was only able to find topics of interest for kids based on one platform, we recommend continued research into top trends for kids based on additional sources. We recommend identifying and summarizing an additional 5-7 articles on current trends/interests for American kids aged 6-12.
Additionally, we can dig deeper into the social media and online habits of children aged 6-12 in the US, with a focus on providing 5-7 insights on their social media and/or digital platform use.