A recent global study has examined children’s online queries to understand what interested and excited them online over the past year. This new analysis is based on anonymised data – search queries, the most popular Android applications, and website categories requested – voluntarily provided by Kaspersky Safe Kids users.
From May 2022 to April this year, the most popular apps in Malaysia on Android included YouTube (30.88%), WhatsApp (19.02%), and TikTok (15.04%), while Roblox took fourth place (10.33%).
On Windows, the most popular apps were Google Chrome (45.41%), Microsoft Edge (8.66%), and communication app Discord (9.48%).
Around the world on YouTube, children most often searched for channels and bloggers that provide entertainment content such as challenges or lifestyle channels (19%), for example. Cartoons, television shows and anime (17%) were the next most popular topics.
In third place were musical performers (15.7%), while game bloggers accounted for 15.5% of searches, and game content for 10%. In terms of personalities, MrBeast and SSSniperWolf were the trendiest among bloggers and channels.
Among cartoons (46%), kids most frequently searched for “Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir” season five, and “MSA” (previously “My Story Animated”).
“Chainsaw Man”, “Demon Slayer”, and “One Piece” topped the number of anime inquiries (16%). And the most beloved films among children were “Super Mario Bros Movie”, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”, and “Rock Dog 3: Battle the Beat”.
“Baby Shark” was the most requested song among kids. In terms of musical preferences, the rap genre, Korean pop groups Blackpink and BTS, and Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny led the pack.
During the survey period, Aphmau, Dream, and Technoblade were the top trending gaming bloggers among young users. Besides “Roblox” and “Minecraft”, children’s favourite games were “Brawl Stars”, “Fortnite”, “Genshin Impact”, and “Stumble Guys”.
Other popular trends include queries related to the video game “Gacha Life”, including game videos, TikTok, mini-movies and more.
As for memes, over the last year “beluga”, “skibidi bop”, “gigachad”, and “countryhumans” were most popular among children.
ASMR, or autonomous sensory meridian response, videos were also very popular – the term referring to the sensation people get while watching stimulatory content – with “ASMR eating” and “ASMR makeup” being among the most-searched.
Keeping children safe online
To ensure children have a positive online experience, parents should ensure the following:
- Get involved in your children’s online activities early on. By making this the norm, you can mentor them on online safety practices.
- Download and install parental control apps, and discuss online safety with your child to explain how such apps work and why they’re needed.
- Make conversations about cybersecurity more enjoyable and interesting for your kid through games and other entertaining formats
- Spend more time communicating with your child about online safety measures. Pay attention to your own habits: do you use your smartphone when eating or chatting? Do your kids react in a different way when you put your phone away? See if there are any patterns of your children mimicking your habits.
- Ask your child not to agree to any privacy settings on their own and to ask for help from you instead. Adults should get into the habit of reading all privacy agreements.