What are children looking for on the Internet today?

Cyberpeace Tech
Jul 3
3 min read

In today's digital environment, children are increasingly immersed in the Internet, spending many hours in front of a screen from an early age.

Recent data indicate that children between 8 and 10 years old spend an average of six hours a day online, while pre-teens (11 to 14 years old) spend more than nine hours a day.

This reality has made monitoring the digital content consumed by minors a priority task for families.

What do children look for on the Internet today?

Children's digital interests revolve around audiovisual content, social networks, video games and new technologies. Nearly 18% of children's searches are related to watching videos on streaming platforms. This data reveals the enormous influence that screens have on their daily entertainment.

YouTube and TikTok: the favorites among minors

Among the most used applications, YouTube stands out, which continues to be the most popular among children on the Internet, accumulating more than 23% of use on Android devices. It is followed by TikTok, with notable growth, and in third place comes WhatsApp, although the latter has lost prominence to platforms that offer more dynamic and viral content.

This trend suggests that the way of communicating is changing: minors now prefer to share videos, memes and links rather than written messages.

AI Chatbots: a new digital attraction

Interest in artificial intelligence-based tools has grown considerably. More than 7.5% of searches were related to chatbots such as Character.AI, ChatGPT and Gemini. These platforms allow interaction with fictional or real characters simulated by AI, which is attractive and curious for children.

However, it is important to note that some of these experiences may be inappropriate for their age.

Being created in many cases by other users, certain bots may display misinformation or complex emotional issues.

Therefore, it is essential that parents have open conversations with their children about these tools and use parental controls to monitor their use.

Absurdist humor and video games also dominate

The style of humor known as brainrot, characterized by its absurd and chaotic content, has gained strength among children. Viral songs such as “tralalero tralala” or “tung tung tung sahur” are examples of the short videos that dominate the networks. Added to this are video games such as Sprunki, a rhythmic and fast-paced experience that has captured the attention of minors, positioning itself among the five most searched titles, along with classics such as Roblox or Brawl Stars.

How parents can act in this scenario

The report reflects a rapidly changing digital culture among children. Although these data are focused on Spain, they represent an increasingly common reality in Mexico, where early access to devices and social networks continues to increase.

Against this backdrop, it is crucial that Mexican mothers, fathers and caregivers get involved in their children's digital lives.

Understanding what they see, play or search for not only helps to protect them, but also opens doors to dialogue and build trusting relationships. Being present and accompanying them is the best way to encourage responsible and safe habits in the use of technology.

At Cyberpeace, we know that understanding what children do on the Internet is key to their digital safety. That's why we invite you to stay informed about cybersecurity, technology trends and good practices in the family digital environment. Prevention starts with knowledge.

Want to know more about how to protect your family online? Follow us on social networks and be part of an informed and safe community.