Woburn, MA – May 31, 2024 – A new Kaspersky Safe Kids study has revealed the trendiest online searches among children. The study found that SSundee, Aphmau and KreekCraft maintained their positions as the most popular children’s gaming bloggers worldwide. The biggest meme craze was found to be Gegagedigedagedago. Unexpectedly, BTS lost its position as the top music group, while BABYMONSTER has taken the lead. In the realm of animation, “My Story Animated” secured the top spot as the most searched cartoon among children. Meanwhile, Subliminal, a horror game, has captivated children’s attention globally even before its official release.

Kaspersky’s report “Raising the smartphone generation” revealed that 87% of parents globally believe they are primarily responsible for regulating their children’s digital behavior. To assist parents in effectively managing their children’s online engagement, Kaspersky conducts an annual review of children’s online interests. The analysis is based on anonymized data search queries, voluntarily provided by Kaspersky Safe Kids users. This year we’ve analyzed requests data for both mobile (Android) and desktop platforms (Windows).

The list of the most used Android apps includes YouTube (28%), TikTok and WhatsApp (each with 15%) and Instagram (9%). On devices with Windows operating systems is different, kids spend most of their time on Google Chrome (36%), Microsoft Edge (13%) and Microsoft Office (10%).

As the most popular app, YouTube reflects key trends and interests among kids today. This year, gaming influencers received the largest share of search requests at 21%. The most searched bloggers were SSundee, Aphmau and KreekCraft. As for non-gaming-related influencers, MrBeast, SSSniperWolf and Sidemen remain the overall leaders.

Another topic of interest for children is sports, with soccer, football, and the NBA ranking as the top choices. A high level of interest in this topic was evident in both YouTube queries and Google search requests.

Memes traditionally are also a significant part of kids interests globally. This time the most notable one was “Gegagedigedagedago” – the Roblox Male Face meme set to the Rednex song “Cotton Eye Joe,” performed in a misheard manner.

Regarding music preferences (17% of searches), notable trends among kids include BABYMONSTER’s SHEESH and JoJo Siwa’s Karma tracks as well as music mixes by Nightcore. The most searched performers were K-pop band BLACKPINK and pop icon Taylor Swift. Phonk remains the most popular music genre among kids. Surprisingly, BTS has recently seen a decline in popularity, and is trailing behind Olivia Rodrigo and even Kanye West’s video ¥$, Ye, Ty Dolla $ign – CARNIVAL ft. Playboi Carti & Rich The Kid in terms of number of requests.

Among movies (16% of searches) kids mostly searched for cartoons, TV-shows and series. The most requested cartoons were My Story Animated, 1 second from animated movies and Harzbin Hotel. As for series, the most searched requests pertained to Dhar Mann Studios, Queen of Tears and Avatar the Last Airbender by Netflix adaptation.

An intriguing upcoming game is the horror title Subliminal. Based on the concept of “the Backrooms”, it’s a real-time software ray-traced horror-puzzle game. Although it hasn’t been released yet, information about it has already been eagerly sought by interested children.

“We see some stability in children’s preferences, however, there has been a notable rise in seasonal stories linked to recent games, musical and movie premieres,” said Anna Larkina, Web-content analyst expert at Kaspersky. “These trends hold great significance and appeal to children, providing an opportunity for parents to engage and better understand their kids’ current interests. This can foster stronger relationships between parents and children. A reliable solution for digital parenting can play a crucial role, not only in safeguarding children online but also in uncovering their preferences.”

To ensure children have a positive online experience, Kaspersky recommends that as a parent you:

•       Involve yourself in your children’s online activities from an early age, so that this is the established norm, and you can then mentor them on online safety practices.

•       Consider downloading apps for digital parenting and discussing this topic with your child to explain how such apps work and why they’re needed to stay safe online.

•       Make conversations about cybersecurity more enjoyable and interesting by discussing the topic with your child through games and other entertaining formats.

•       Spend more time communicating with your kids about online safety measures. Try paying attention to your own habits. Do you use your smartphone when eating or chatting? See if there are any patterns of your kids mimicking your habits? Do they react in a different way when you put your phone away?

•       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.