Development experts and authorities alike may deem them too young to use social networks, but in reality 10- to 15-year-olds in the US spend more time on TikTok than those aged 16-18.

While many of them use multiple applications, young users divide their time differently depending on the platform. According to Qustodio's latest report, Gen Z Americans spend an average of 108 minutes a day on TikTok.

However, 16-18 year-olds are not the most present on the social network. While a TikTok account can only be officially created by a user aged 13 or over, the company offers a separate “TikTok for Younger Users experience”, which has a recommended age rating of 12 in the Apple App and Google Play stores.

While Generation Alpha 13- to 15-year-olds spends an average of 127 minutes a day on the Chinese application, 10- to 12-year-olds spend almost the same amount, at 121 minutes. This is a considerable amount of time spent online, and video games such as Minecraft lose out.

Forty-seven percent of 13- to 15-year-olds cite TikTok among their favourite applications, versus 42% of 16- to 18-year-olds. ByteDance's social network may not be the most popular for Gen Z, but it is the one that holds the attention of such users the longest.

Fifty-two percent of 13- to 15-year-olds prefer Roblox, the online video game platform, with an average of 138 minutes of use per day. The same is true of 10-12 year-olds, with 143 minutes spent on Roblox, cited by 62% of them.

Snapchat is now much less popular with 13- to 15-year-olds (38%) and 16- to 18-year-olds (39%), but remains one of the most-used apps every day. Gen Z users spend an average of 91 minutes a day on it, and Generation Alpha 94 minutes a day, making it respectively their second and third most consulted apps every day.

 - AFP Relaxnews