Changing trends reveal new ways in which children are spending their time online
Research into children’s digital interests reveals a growing fascination with AI-powered chatbots, the viral rise of brainrot memes and growing attention to Sprunki – a rhythm-based game combining music and motion. YouTube remains the most popular app among children globally, while WhatsApp overtook TikTok for second place.
Children are engaging with digital technology more than ever before. Recent studies indicate that 8-10-year-old children spend an average of six hours daily on screens, while preteens (ages 11-14) average about nine hours per day. With such a significant portion of their lives unfolding online, it becomes especially important for parents to understand what captures their children’s attention in the digital space – what they search for, what platforms they use and which trends influence their interests and behaviour.
Every year, new digital trends shape the way children explore the world. This year, there is a surge of interest in AI tools. While no AI apps appeared in the Top 20 most-used applications in the 2023-2024 time period, ‘Character.AI’ has now entered the list, showing that children are not only curious about AI but are actively integrating it into their digital lives. More than 7.5% of all search queries were about AI chatbots, led by well-known names like ChatGPT, Gemini and especially Character.AI – a platform that lets users create or interact with bots mimicking fictional or real characters. This marks a sharp rise from last year: in the 2023-2024 report, AI-related queries made up just 3.19% of all searches, increasing more than twice this year.
Changing tastes
However, not all chatbot interactions are risk-free. Some bots may expose children to emotionally intense content, misinformation or age-inappropriate themes, especially when created or customised by other users. Since these platforms often rely on user-generated content and may lack strict moderation, it’s crucial to talk openly with children about how they use AI tools – and to set up apps for digital parenting that help families stay aware, involved and protected.
In Kenya, the top five most popular Android apps were YouTube (35.02% – the amount of time spent on the platform), WhatsApp (12.14%), YT Kids (8.67%), Roblox (8.12%) and Instagram (7.76%), while Character.AI was 20th in the rating – used 0.71% of the time.
While memes made up a small portion of searches in 2025, they still reveal another layer of children’s digital culture. Many of the most popular memes fell into what’s called ‘brainrot’ – a kind of absurd, deliberately chaotic humour that spreads through short videos.
Among the newcomers that caught analysts’ attention was Sprunki – a rhythm-based browser game that blends music and visual interaction. Players must hit beats in sync with fast-paced audio, making the experience both immersive and physically engaging. Its bright, cartoonish design and addictive gameplay have made it increasingly popular with younger audiences. This is reflected not only in Google searches but also on YouTube, where Sprunki entered the top five most searched gaming topics.
At the same time, more familiar habits remain strong. The most common online activity among children was searching on Google for streaming platforms – almost 18% of all queries were related to watching videos. Unsurprisingly, YouTube remains the clear favourite Android app, growing from 28.13 – 29.77% over the past year. WhatsApp rose to second place with 14.72%, overtaking TikTok (12.76%), while Snapchat and Facebook continued to decline. This shift may reflect evolving communication habits – children are using chat apps more frequently to share links, memes and short videos with friends.
Video content and games also remained popular topics in children’s search behaviour. Platforms like Netflix, Twitch and Disney+ held strong – a trend that also echoed findings from Kaspersky’s recent streaming report, which highlighted how entertainment platforms often become targets for cyber criminals. At the same time, in the gaming world, children continued to favour Roblox, Minecraft and, increasingly, the browser-based portal Poki – a portal offering hundreds of free games, often simple, fast-paced and instantly accessible in a browser.
Keep talking
Behind every trend is a chance for connection. When parents take time to understand what their children are watching, playing or searching for, it opens the door to meaningful conversations – and helps build safer, more trusting digital habits. Apps for digital parenting can be a helpful tool in this journey – not only to protect but also to stay involved. To keep children safe from online threats, it’s important to maintain open communication with children about potential online risks and establish clear guidelines to ensure their safety. Secure gaming experiences by installing a trusted security solution to prevent malicious file downloads. Stay informed about emerging threats and actively monitor children’s online activities in order to create a safer digital environment.
Introduce children to cyber security basics using educational tools. Use digital parenting apps to protect children both online and offline, manage screen time, block inappropriate content and track their location for greater peace of mind.
Text | Anna Larkina
Photography | Prostock-studio
Anna Larkina is a privacy expert at Kaspersky. For more information, go to kaspersky.co.za.
