A new Kaspersky study reveals the most popular kids’ interests during autumn 2022. This time, data from YouTube searches has been analyzed, with the Netflix series “Wednesday” creating the greatest buzz as the most popular series. “God of War” has also managed to draw a lot of kids’ attention along with ever-green game leaders – “Roblox” and “Minecraft”. In addition, “Beluga Cat” meme gets a second life with its own YouTube channel.
December is the time to choose gifts and make dreams come true for kids, but can also be difficult for parents to understand what a child really wants. One way of finding the perfect present can be to explore the interests of children. Kaspersky has analyzed anonymized data provided by users of the children’s safety software Kaspersky Safe Kids from August 28 to November 28, 2022, including search queries from YouTube.
What’s the most hyped series or movies?
This autumn, the Netflix “Wednesday” series made a huge splash. Vloggers churned out videos devoted to the main character’s make-up, outfits, and the dance Jenna Ortega performs at the ball in episode four, which also went viral.
More than half of all kids requested cartoons during this time in ‘Cartoons, the Movies, and TV Shows’ categories (50,48%). During the fall, children were glued to the Netflix shows “Inside Job” and “Zootopia+”, released on Disney+. Besides, one of the most popular movies was Enola Holmes 2, starring Millie Bobby Brown, released in October, also on Netflix.
Let’s look at games
November 2022 saw three new releases – Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, God of War Ragnarök, and Just Dance 2023 Edition – all with large young followings. They managed to attract huge attention among kids together with ever-green leaders like Roblox and Minecraft.
Memes and other trends
This autumn we also saw the comeback of “Beluga Cat” thanks to the YouTube channel Beluga. Another major topic was The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ during the build-up to the football tournament, accounting for almost all queries relating to “Sport” searches.
As for the toys, the LEGO Ninjago series is still hugely popular with all ages and gets first place. Interestingly, “Harry Potter” topics, including toys, LEGO sets and marketplaces, were also among the most popular requests in the fall.
“We regularly see how children’s interests and trends rapidly change. Literally every quarter there are new memes, movies and heroes appearing. For example, the Wednesday series has become a true phenomenon with teenagers, with many repeating the look or copying Jenny Ortega’s epic dance. Keeping track of all the changes can be quite difficult if you are an adult, so parental control apps can help understand all the trends and topics,” comments Anna Larkina, web content analysis expert at Kaspersky.
The full report on kids’ online interests and tips on how to choose the perfect Christmas gift is available via this link.
Here are some tips for keeping your kids safe online:
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Don’t neglect to show interest in your kids’ online activity. Ask them if you can watch their favorite series or listen to music tracks together. As an option, you can learn together some secure practices to stay safe online.
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A good option could be parental control apps. But it’s important to discuss this topic with your child to explain how these apps work and why they’re needed to stay safe online
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Explain that sensitive information should only be shared via messengers and only with people they know in real life. You can be a role model and show them good examples of good behavior.
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Spend more time communicating with your kids about online safety measures. Try paying attention to your own habits. Do you use your smartphone while eating or talking? Are your kids mimicking any of your habits or behavior patterns? Do they react in a different way when you put your phone away?
