TIC Kids Online investigates, for the first time, the frequency of digital platform use by children and adolescents

Survey shows that more than half of Brazilian Internet users aged 9 to 17 access messaging and video and photo sharing platforms “several times a day” or “every day or almost every day”

Launched this Wednesday (23), the new edition of the TIC Kids Online Brazil shows that 70% of Internet users aged 9 to 17 access WhatsApp frequently, with 53% using the platform “several times a day” and 17%, “every day or almost every day”. Next comes YouTube, with 66% (43% “several times a day” and 23% “every day or almost every day”), Instagram with 60% (45%“several times a day” and 15% “every day or almost every day”), and TikTok with 50% (37% “several times a day” and 13% “every day or almost every day”). The survey, conducted by the Regional Center for Studies on the Development of the Information Society (Cetic.br), a department of the Brazilian Network Information Center (NIC.br), collected for the first time data on the frequency of digital platform use by the analyzed population. These and other unprecedented indicators were presented during the 9th Children and Adolescents on the Internet Symposium, organized by NIC.br and the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee (CGI.br).

The frequency of platform use varies by age group. YouTube, for instance, predominates among users aged 9 to 10 (70% access “several times a day” or “every day/almost every day”) and those aged 11 to 12 (71% use it “several times a day” or “every day/almost every day”). In both age groups, WhatsApp ranks second, with 52% accessing it “several times a day” or “every day/almost every day”. Among children aged 9 to 10, TikTok (34%) surpasses Instagram (23%). Among those aged 11 and 12, there are no significant differences between Instagram (42%) and TikTok (41%). For teenagers aged 13 to 14 and 15 to 17, the platforms used most frequently are WhatsApp (73% and 91%, respectively) and Instagram (78% and 81%, respectively).

Among those aged 9 to 17, 69% of those who access WhatsApp at least once a week reported having their own profile on the platform. The proportions were 63% for Instagram, 45% for TikTok, 42% for YouTube, 19% for Facebook, 8% for Discord, and 7% for X (formerly Twitter). Considering the same age range, 72% said they believe they can use social networks alone, a higher percentage than that reported by their guardians regarding their children's use (57%).

“The online participation of children and adolescents, including on digital platforms, is a topic that has been permeating public debate currently. In this context, Cetic.br seeks to generate evidence so that these debates are based on data, and so that these data can also contribute to the formulation of policies, regulations, and other necessary actions related to the issue. These were some of the reasons that led us to investigate the frequency of digital platform use,” explains the manager of Cetic.br|NIC.br, Alexandre Barbosa.

Currently, 93% of the Brazilian population aged 9 to 17 are Internet users, representing 24.5 million people.

Parental mediation
The study found that about 3 out of 10 Internet users aged 9 to 17 have guardians who use resources to block or filter certain types of sites (34%), to filter which apps can be downloaded (32%), who limit the people children and adolescents can contact via voice calls or messages (32%), who monitor accessed sites or apps (31%), who block ads (28%), who alert about the desire to make in-app purchases (26%), and who restrict Internet time (24%).

The survey also found that 61% of guardians of users aged 9 to 17 claimed to “always” or “almost always” check the phone to see what the child or adolescent is doing or who they are talking to (the proportion is 80% for users aged 9 to 10 and 40% for users aged 15 to 17); 51% set rules for device use (71% for those aged 9 to 10 and 27% for those aged 15 to 17), and 30% suspend their children's phone use for some time (45% for those aged 9 to 10 and 15% between 15 and 17 years old).

Guardians of 83% of users aged 9 to 10 declared that they “always” or “almost always” teach ways for the child to use the Internet safely, and 86% said they talk about what the child does online (the percentages were 63% and 55%, respectively, for teenagers aged 15 to 17).

The 2024 edition of TIC Kids Online Brazil innovates by investigating guardians' perceptions of the requests for guidance from children and adolescents for Internet use. According to their statements, 44% of users aged 9 to 17 “always” or “almost always” talk about things that bother or “upset” them on the Internet, a practice more common among girls (46%) than boys (28%). The study also showed that 44% claimed that the child or adolescent “always” or “almost always” asks for help in a digital situation they cannot resolve, 77% “believe that the child or adolescent uses the Internet safely” and 8% “that the child or adolescent experienced uncomfortable situations on the Internet”.

Online risks
Among Internet users aged 9 to 17, 29% reported having experienced situations they found offensive or were “upset” about in the digital environment. Of these, 31% talked about what happened to their parents or guardians; 29% to a friend their age; 17% to siblings or cousins, and 13% did not reveal it to anyone. Another 12% reported being treated offensively online and 42% saw someone being discriminated against online.

Considering contact with strangers, 30% of Internet users aged 9 to 17 reported having had contact online with someone they did not know personally. Social networks (15%) and instant messaging (14%) were the main means where this situation occurred.

Class and access conditions
According to the study, 99% of children and adolescents aged 9 to 17 in classes A and B are Internet users. In classes C and DE, the percentages are 93% and 91%, respectively. TIC Kids Online also shows that 92% have guardians who are network users.

The home is the main place of Internet access for children and adolescents (99%) and their guardians (98%). Among users aged 9 to 17 in classes AB and C, 56% accessed the Internet at school, with a proportion of 44% for classes DE.

Of the total number of Internet users aged 9 to 17, 81% reported owning their own mobile phone, with 97% of children and adolescents in this age group belonging to classes AB having the device. The same is true for 80% of those in class C and 77% in class D. Mobile phone ownership was higher among adolescents aged 15 to 17 (93%) than among children aged 9 to 10 (67%).

"The strong presence of children and adolescents on the Internet, especially on digital platforms, highlights the need for actions to guarantee the rights and protection of this population in the online environment. By producing always updated indicators on opportunities and risks related to this online participation, TIC Kids Online Brazil has helped guide public policies in the area," emphasizes Renata Mielli, CGI.br coordinator.

About the survey
The 11th edition of the TIC Kids Online Brazil survey interviewed in person 2,424 children and adolescents aged 9 to 17, as well as their parents or guardians, throughout the national territory. The interviews took place between March and August 2024.

TIC Kids Online Brazil is aligned with the methodological framework of the Global Kids Online project, coordinated by Unicef (United Nations Children's Fund), and with the Kids Online Latin America network.

The complete list of indicators can be found at https://cetic.br/pt/pesquisa/kids-online/indicadores/. To review the survey launch panel, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldDKwgtpNq4. Cetic.br also provides the microdata of the 11th edition of the study for download, in addition to complete tables of proportions, totals, and respective margins of error at: https://cetic.br/pt/pesquisa/kids-online/microdados/.

About Cetic.br
The Regional Center for Studies on the Development of the Information Society (Cetic.br), part of NIC.br, is responsible for producing indicators and statistics on Internet access and usage in Brazil, disseminating periodic analyses and information on the network's development in the country. Cetic.br|NIC.br is also a Regional Center for Studies under the aegis of UNESCO and completes 19 years of activity in 2024. More information at https://cetic.br/.

About the Brazilian Network Information Center – NIC.br
The Brazilian Network Information Center — NIC.br (https://nic.br/) is a non-profit, private civil entity responsible for the operation of the .br domain, as well as the distribution of IP numbers and the registration of Autonomous Systems in the country. NIC.br implements the decisions and projects of the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee - CGI.br since 2005, and all resources collected come from its activities of a predominantly private nature. It conducts actions and projects that benefit the Internet infrastructure in Brazil. NIC.br includes: Registro.br (https://registro.br/), CERT.br (https://cert.br/), Ceptro.br (https://ceptro.br/), Cetic.br (https://cetic.br/), IX.br (https://ix.br/) and Ceweb.br (https://ceweb.br/), in addition to projects such as Internetsegura.br (https://internetsegura.br/) and the Good Practices Portal for the Internet in Brazil (https://bcp.nic.br/). It also houses the W3C Chapter São Paulo office (https://w3c.br/).

About the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee – CGI.br
The Brazilian Internet Steering Committee is responsible for establishing strategic guidelines related to the use and development of the Internet in Brazil, coordinating and integrating all Internet service initiatives in the country, promoting technical quality, innovation, and the dissemination of offered services. Based on the principles of multistakeholderism and transparency, CGI.br represents a democratic Internet governance model, praised internationally, in which all sectors of society participate equitably in its decisions. One of its formulations is the 10 Principles for Internet Governance and Use (https://cgi.br/resolucoes/documento/2009/003). More information at https://cgi.br/.

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