According to a survey of parents and children in the United Kingdom (UK) conducted between October and November 2023, 23 percent of children between the ages of three and four were using WhatsApp to communicate. In comparison, 83 percent of user aged between 16 and 17 reported engaging with the same platform to exchange instant messages. Snapchat was popular among 28 percent of users aged five and seven years, and of 50 percent among users aged between eight and 11 years.
Platforms used by children in the United Kingdom (UK) to communicate as of November 2023, by age group
Characteristic
3-4
5-7
8-11
12-15
16-17
Facebook Messenger
11%
18%
18%
36%
45%
Discord
1%
4%
6%
15%
19%
FaceTime
18%
23%
25%
28%
36%
Instagram
9%
13%
15%
37%
61%
Kick
1%
2%
1%
1%
3%
Microsoft Teams
2%
6%
5%
11%
17%
Photo message apps (e.g. Apple iMessage/Samsung messages)
4%
7%
14%
28%
31%
Signal
0%
1%
1%
2%
2%
Skype
2%
5%
5%
6%
7%
Snapchat
12%
18%
28%
59%
69%
Telegram
1%
4%
3%
4%
7%
TikTok
10%
14%
26%
40%
44%
Viber
1%
2%
2%
2%
3%
WhatsApp
23%
37%
52%
80%
83%
Zoom
2%
6%
5%
8%
13%
Child sends messages or makes video/voice calls on other apps/sites
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Ofcom. (April 18, 2024). Platforms used by children in the United Kingdom (UK) to communicate as of November 2023, by age group [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved December 22, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1424935/children-uk-platforms-used-to-message/
Ofcom. "Platforms used by children in the United Kingdom (UK) to communicate as of November 2023, by age group." Chart. April 18, 2024. Statista. Accessed December 22, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1424935/children-uk-platforms-used-to-message/
Ofcom. (2024). Platforms used by children in the United Kingdom (UK) to communicate as of November 2023, by age group. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: December 22, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1424935/children-uk-platforms-used-to-message/
Ofcom. "Platforms Used by Children in The United Kingdom (Uk) to Communicate as of November 2023, by Age Group." Statista, Statista Inc., 18 Apr 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1424935/children-uk-platforms-used-to-message/
Ofcom, Platforms used by children in the United Kingdom (UK) to communicate as of November 2023, by age group Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1424935/children-uk-platforms-used-to-message/ (last visited December 22, 2024)
Platforms used by children in the United Kingdom (UK) to communicate as of November 2023, by age group [Graph], Ofcom, April 18, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1424935/children-uk-platforms-used-to-message/
