UK children top up TV hours with online viewing
New Ofcom research reveals the extent to which children are topping up traditional live TV viewing by watching online video clips and catch-up TV.
Ofcom’s shows that older children aged 11-15 are watching half the amount of live TV per day as adults (1 hour 32 minutes versus 2 hours 58 minutes).
In contrast, older children are spending six times longer than adults watching short online video clips on sites such as YouTube and Vimeo (33 minutes versus 5 minutes).
This research involved children aged 6-15 filling in a three-day diary on their media and communications habits.
Half (45%) of 11-15 year olds watch online video clips on websites every week compared with 20% of adults. These video clips account for around a fifth (19%) of overall viewing time for this age group compared with just 2% for adults.
Children aged 11-15 watch a similar amount of free on-demand TV - from services such as BBC iPlayer and 4oD - to adults each day (13 minutes versus 12 minutes). But a greater proportion of adults are likely to watch these services each week (38%, compared with 26% of 11-15 year olds).
The study also found that nearly all UK adults reported watching live TV every week over the course of a week (94%), compared with just over three-quarters (78%) of children aged 11-15 and 90% of 6-11 year olds.
Taking control of radio
The research finds that that children are taking greater control over what they listen to compared with adults.
More than three quarters (77%) of adults tune into the radio each week, compared with four in 10 (42%) children. Adults listened to five times more radio each day than children in the study (1 hour 19 minutes versus 15 minutes for children aged 11-15).
Older children are also engaging with online and digital music more than adults do. Each week, 11-15s are more likely to stream music (19% versus 13% of adults), listen to their own digital music (44% versus 33%), and twice as likely to watch music videos (22% versus 11%).
Compared with all adults, a significantly smaller proportion of children’s listening time is spent on live radio (21% of 11-15 year olds compared with 71% of all adults). Instead, over half (54%) of 11-15 year olds’ listening time is spent on digital music, either streamed or stored on a device.
Children hanging up the phone
Children are using social media and instant messaging to communicate with friends rather than using the phone - in sharp contrast to adults.
Adults are more than three times more likely than 11-15 year olds to talk on the phone each week (83% versus 25%) and spend six times longer talking on the phone (29 minutes a day versus 5 minutes).
Twice the proportion of 11-15 year olds communicate via a social media site than make a phone call (47% versus 25%) and five times more use instant messaging than email each week (40% versus 8%).
Over half (56%) of the time spent communicating by older children is taken up by text messages, instant messages and photo messages.
This is twice the proportion of time spent by adults on messaging (28%). Older children also spend twice as long communicating via social networking sites than adults each day (52 minutes versus 25 minutes).
Helping parents manage risks
Ofcom understands that some parents may be concerned by new technology being used by children - particularly if they do not use these themselves. Ofcom has for parents to help them understand more about parental controls and how to protect their children in a digital world.
Ofcom recognises that growing internet and on-demand viewing will pose new challenges for protecting children from unsuitable content in the future.
Ofcom is working with Government, other regulators and industry to ensure that children remain protected if they choose on-demand TV or online content over traditional broadcast TV, where Ofcom’s strict watershed rules apply.
This work will help ensure consumers have a clear understanding of the protections that apply on different platforms and devices, and make sure the public are aware of which regulatory body they should notify any concerns or turn to for advice.
ParentPort
The website also provides straightforward information on what parents can do if they feel they have seen or heard something inappropriate for their children. ParentPort directs parents to the right regulator for any specific concerns, and provides other helpful tips and advice.
Recent Ofcom research showed that most parents put measures in place to protect their children from unsuitable content. Popular methods include PIN or password controls on TV sets (52%), supervising their children online (84%) and having rules in place about use and access of the internet (82%).