YouTube, Netflix or TikTok: where does the voracious Generation Alpha get its content?

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Children and adolescents belonging to Generation Alpha (those born between 2010 and 2024) have been raised on the Internet and are astonishingly proficient in using smartphones and tablets, into whose stormy (and addictive) waters they have been immersed since their earliest childhood.

Generation Alpha is looking at multiple different sources (not necessarily digital) when it comes to consuming content with an absolutely overwhelming frenzy.

Even though YouTube and other digital media are the darling of Generation Alpha, the truth is that the youngest members of the household also spend a good part of their time in front of traditional linear television . In fact, children under 12 spend more time watching traditional linear television than any other age group under 35 years old. And according to data handled by eMarketer , Generation Alpha will spend one hour and 17 minutes a day watching linear television in 2024.

The fact that the small screen is so popular among young people is probably influenced by the fact that platforms such as TikTok require users to be at least 13 years old to access their content. In addition, many children watch television in the company of their parents and grandparents, which could influence the attachment that young people have to television .

It is worth noting that Generation Alpha's interest in linear television is waning as the amount of time spent on increasingly ubiquitous OTT platforms increases .

If we look at digital video (59.6%) and connected television (47.3%), the penetration of these two channels among children under 12 is lower than in any other age group under 65. This figure is almost certainly influenced by the fact that many of the users belonging to Generation Alpha are very young children.

Podcasts, which are so popular among millennials, also seem to be captivating Generation Alpha. And the proportion of children aged 8 to 15 who listen to podcasts regularly grew by 13% year-on-year to reach 26% in the first quarter of 2022.

YouTube is the platform where Generation Alpha consumes content with the greatest enthusiasm
YouTube is the undisputed leader of the digital platforms that steal the most time from Generation Alpha . According to eMarketer, 97.3% of digital video consumers under 12 in the United States will be YouTube users in 2024. And Google's famous video platform was crowned, not in vain, the "coolest" brand in the eyes of the little ones in the house in 2023, as concluded by a report undertaken by Beano Brain.

It should also be noted that some of the channels with the most subscribers on YouTube create content especially aimed at children (or at least suitable for viewing by the youngest members of the household):

MrBeast (247 million subscribers.
Cocomelon – Nursery Rhymes (173 million subscribers).
Kids Diana Show (120 million subscribers).
Vlad and Niki (114 million subscribers).
Like Nastya (114 million subscribers).
Netflix also has a lot of appeal among young people belonging to Generation Z. By 2024, 61.4% of digital video users under 12 years of age in the United States will consume content on Netflix, a figure that places the Los Gatos comp bulgaria whatsapp data ny's platform well behind YouTube in terms of reach.

As for Disney+ , 47.1% of digital video consumers under 12 years of age in the United States will source content from this platform in 2024.

Even though TikTok is a platform with a predominantly young audience, only 21.5% of mobile phone users from Generation Alpha will be using the platform in the United States in 2024 (due to the age limit in force on this social network). And those under 13 who manage to connect to TikTok generally do so through another user's account or by circumventing the age limits of this platform. However, as the age of young people belonging to Generation Alpha increases, so does the attachment to TikTok of this generation (this time fortunately oblivious to age restrictions).

Other platforms that Gen Alpha spend a lot of time on are gaming-focused channels like Minecraft, Roblox, and Fortnite . And with 26% of young people living in homes equipped with virtual reality devices, brands would be wise to keep an eye on Gen Alpha when designing their gaming-focused marketing strategies.

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