Children and young people: 2022 research report highlights

12th December 2022 10:21

Written by Helen Menzies, Research Director, Contact Helen

As part of my work in our Children and Young People research team, I have the pleasure of interviewing Gen Z and Gen Alpha on a regular basis. This year we have covered a range of topics for our clients including the environment, media, education, health and sport. As a team we also take the time to read published reports, which help to ground our own findings and experiences into a wider context.

Here’s a selection of some of the reports focused on children and young people that have stood out for me this year. This is by no means an exhaustive list and I’d love to hear about other reports that you have found particularly useful.

Children and parents: media use and attitudes report 2022, Ofcom

This annual report published in March looks at media use, attitudes and understanding among children and young people aged 3-17.

Most children are going online via a mobile phone or tablet. The average age to get a mobile phone is 9-11, with almost all kids having a phone by the time they are 12. Perhaps more surprising is that 17% of 3-4 year-olds have their own mobile phone.

Kids are now more likely to watch programmes/films on paid-for on-demand platforms rather than broadcast TV. However, broadcast TV content is not necessarily being missed, but rather being watched at a different time as kids curate their own schedules. They are also more likely to watch TV via a device than a traditional TV set, suggesting a rise in independent as opposed to shared viewing.

As for social media - despite most platforms having a minimum age limit of 13, usage amongst under 13’s is high. Recently we have seen calls for stricter age verification as even those technically allowed on the platforms can use a false date of birth to access content designed for over 18s. All social media platforms could face further requirements for verifying the age of younger users as part of the Government’s Online Safety Bill, which is currently under review.

You can read the full report on the Ofcom website here

The Good Childhood Report 2022, The Children’s Society

In October I attended The Children’s Society briefing on The Good Childhood Report. Now in its eleventh year, this is the longest standing report on the well-being of children in the UK.

The report highlights some worrying statistics about the decline in children’s well-being. Children’s (aged 10-15) average score for happiness with ‘life as a whole’ was significantly lower in 2019-20 than it was a decade ago when the survey first started. Happiness with friends, appearance and school were on average also significantly lower.

It was a privilege to attend the briefing in person and hear directly from a group of young people, some of whom shared some very personal and moving stories. They discussed the reasons why they thought well-being had declined and suggested pressure from social media and at school were among the key reasons.

This report can be found here

Girls’ Attitudes Survey 2022, Girlguiding

Girlguiding have been conducting this survey since 2009, asking girls and young women aged 7 to 21 how they feel about the pressures they face and what this means for their happiness, wellbeing and opportunities. In 2022 they focused on girls and young women’s views on their lives and society after the pandemic, their safety, their experiences of sexism and stereotypes, their involvement in social and community action and their mental health.

71% of girls and young women aged 11-21 have experienced discrimination in the past year. Numbers increase for girls and young women of colour, those who are disabled, and those who are LGBTQ+. 80% of girls and young women aged 11-21 see or experience sexism online and on social media. Equally worryingly, around a fifth (21%) of girls aged 11 to 21 still say gender stereotypes hold them back at school.

You can read the full report here

Digital Youth Index Report 2022, Nominet

The Nominet Digital Youth Index is a free-to-use national, annual benchmarking and barometer research identifying and monitoring the key drivers, issues and opportunities in young people’s relationship with digital technology across the UK.

The report highlights both the positives and negatives associated with internet use – young people appreciate the support they can find online and the ability to connect with like-minded people but 1 in 4 say they want to spend less time online, noting that it can negatively impact on their sleep and their health, amongst other things.

This report also looks at digital skills and highlights a potential skills gap. More than half (57%) of young people want a job that uses advanced digital skills, but a fifth (20%) of young people do not feel that they have received good digital skills training from school. YouTube is often the go-to when young people want to learn new digital skills.

You can explore the data here

All of these reports examine both opportunities and barriers faced by children and young people in the UK today. As we head into Christmas children everywhere will be getting excited but many families will struggle due to the cost of living crisis. The Good Childhood report suggests that 85% of parents and young people are worried about the cost of living crisis – that research was completed in June so I can’t help but wonder if that percentage would be even higher now.

The reports also reinforce my desire to work with children and young people, making the world a safer and more fun place in whatever way we can.

If you’d like our specialist Children and Young People research team to help answer YOUR research questions, please get in touch with Helen (hmenzies@djsresearch.com)