The Digital Behavior in Kids Across Southeast Asia

As we talk of the increased intervention of digital devices in our lives, it is also important to take note that it is also impacting the behavior of children. The way they are responding to this digital exposure is both interesting as well as thought provoking.  In an effort to understand this, kids adtech network SuperAwesome has released some insights on the overall digital media activities in kids between the age of 6-14 years across Southeast Asia.

The infographic provides a comprehensive analysis of the media habits of kids across the key markets in the Southeast Asia region including Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. It also highlights some key behavioral trends that show a high percentage of kids own their own smartphone or tablet. Here is a look at some of the key highlights of the research:

• Kids have a pretty good command over the new age Digital Playground
• For most kids mobile is the fundamental gateway to the digital platform
• The digital playground depends heavily on apps
• For some easily consumable products, kids even spend their own money

What Comprises The Digital Playground?

So what exactly is meant by Digital Playground?  As children grow older, it has been observed that digital activity becomes their primary choice in terms of entertainment activity after school hours with nearly half of them using their phones and tablets regularly after school every day. The age group ranges between 6-8 years and nearly one-fourth of them regularly go online after school.

• Nearly 54% of kids surveyed use a smartphone or a tablet
• About 36% in the age between 9-11 go online, and it rises substantially to 50% in the 12-14 age group
• Nearly 60% kids in the 12-14 age group use the social media in their spare time
• Even in the 6-8 group, the mobile penetration is over 20%

Engaging Kids

The digital platform is playing a big role in engaging kids in their spare time and even becoming their primary leisure activity.

• While 80% watch TV in their leisure hours, mobile gaming ranks close to 70%
• 53% are involved in internet gaming, and 46% watch streamed TV
• 41% also use applications quite efficiently and deftly

When you compare all of this with the number of kids reading books or playing with toys, the striking change in trend is quite apparent. Currently, the percentage of those who engage in mobile gaming is pretty similar to those choosing books.

The Mobile Gateway

The other interesting and important trend to watch out for is the medium that they use to connect to the digital platform. For most the smartphone or the tablet is the most common and the preferred gateway to access the digital playground.

• Mobile or tablet access is as high as 87% and 70% in countries like Thailand and Malaysia
• This is pretty high compared to the maximum recorded laptop access at 62%
• Use of personal computer to connect to the digital world is lowest in the 50% range
• In fact, a significantly high percentage of 6-14-year-olds own their own smartphone
• The mobile and TV usage is most often combined and used together

In brief, eight of the top ten apps for kids are gaming apps. The gaming app space is key to mobile penetration and increased digital access for students across the Southeast Asia region.  Not surprisingly, Facebook and Youtube are the favorite means of engagement offering the most diverse and free content.