Kids watching YouTube, TikTok more than TV on their own smartphones

Kids as young as six are getting their own mobiles – and it’s changing how they watch TV. But that’s creating a big problem.

Young children are spending more time watching online videos on sites such as YouTube and TikTok than television, research reveals.

The finding for kids aged eight and under has experts worried they are missing out on the “incidental” learning that comes from watching educational programs.

That’s because it’s much harder for parents to monitor what kids watch on their own devices than what they watch on big family TV screens.

It comes as growing numbers of children as young as six have their own smartphones.

Data collected by Roy Morgan for its annual Understanding Young Australians survey shows in 2020, a third of children aged 6 to 13 own a mobile phone.

The number of kids aged 6-8 who have their own mobile device has almost doubled over the past five years, from 3.9 per cent to 7.1 per cent.

The research also shows that 76 per cent of children aged 6-13 watched online videos this year, slightly up from 2018.

Over the past two years, the average time they spent online each week increased by 76 minutes to 15 hours and 26 minutes.

The average weekly time youngsters spent in front of the TV decreased by 68 minutes to nine hours, 15 minutes.

Australian Council on Children and the Media president Elizabeth Handsley said as young children with their own devices could watch content unsupervised by their parents, the nature of that content “becomes all the more significant”.

“We are concerned at any unlimited access by children to uncurated content,” she said.

Prof Handsley said features such as autoplay – meaning once a selected online video is finished, another immediately starts playing – were also problematic.

“It is how (these) platforms keep us watching and it makes if very difficult for parents to get even a natural break in the viewing so they can get the child to do something else,” she said.

Prof Handsley said parents needed more support to find good content.

In the US, a sweeping survey by digital educator and advocacy group Common Sense Media found similar trends, with kids aged eight and under spending 39 minutes a day watching online videos.

Paediatric expert Jenny Radesky from the University of Michigan said the research showed kids were using the main YouTube site rather than a kids’ version of it.

“(The content) lacks educational value and, in many cases, exposes young children to advertising, violence and other content that’s inappropriate for their ages,” she said.

Free app, to help kids away from mum, dad

A FREE new app aims to help kids overcome anxiety sparked by being separated from their parents.

Launched by infant and child mental health organisation Emerging Minds, While I’m Away is designed to help youngsters overcome any challenges they may experience when their routine is broken or when staying away from their parents.

Emerging Minds director Brad Morgan said the app could be used to limit the impact of

extended separation from parents and reduce the potential for children to develop lasting fears and anxieties.

“It is common for children to experience mental health difficulties when they are separated from a parent or spend extended time with someone who isn’t their primary caregiver,” Mr Morgan said.

“(These can) be misunderstood, interpreted as behavioural issues or dismissed as intentional actions.

“We often hear children labelled as ‘naughty’, ‘defiant’, or ‘a worrier’ when it’s actually separation from their parent that’s affecting their wellbeing.”

Mr Morgan said the app could be used in many situations and help to limit disruptions to children’s care that can make them anxious, affect their ability to concentrate, impact their mood and make sleeping difficult.

The app enables parents to create unique profiles for each of their children, then assign a caregiver such as a grandparent, friend, babysitter or other family member.

“While I’m Away can be used by many parents including those who need to go into hospital, who travel for work or leisure, and parents whose children spend weekends with an ex-partner,” Mr Morgan said.

“This app is about maintaining positive social and emotional wellbeing.”

General practitioner and children’s health expert Andrew Leech has welcomed the release of the app.

“A child’s social and emotional development is closely influenced by the relationship they have with their parents – the impact of separation from their parents can be significant, especially if it’s sudden or unexpected,” Dr Leech said.

“By using the app, the continuation of routine and support from the caregiver can help lessen the impact that separation may have over time.”

The While I’m Away app is available for free download on the Apple app store or via Google Play.