Insights to Know About Gen Alpha’s Favorite Apps

Gen Alpha, those born between 2010 and 2024, live in a digital world. Handheld tech, like smartphones and tablets, are commonplace as are streaming and gaming apps.

While the oldest consumers in this group are fairly young, at 14 years old, there’s much to learn about this demographic and how they use apps in their daily lives. By understanding their habits, marketers can make plans to adjust their strategies and lean on influencers to connect with these digitally-savvy consumers.

To help uncover Gen Alphas app use, Qustodio, a parental control tool, recently conducted a study, Apps Through the Ages, that explores how Gen Alpha navigates the digital world and broke their findings down by three-year age groups.

Gen Alpha: 7-9 years old

At this age, most kids use a tablet. Research shows 75% of American kids have access to a tablet and 44% have their own, says the Qustodio report. How do they spend their time? The most popular online activities are playing games or streaming shows. Take a look at the apps these digital natives tend to click.

Top 5 most used apps for 7-9 year olds

Roblox
YouTube
Amazon Shopping
Netflix
X

Roblox is a favorite for this group, with 55% using the gaming app for an average of 137 minutes a day. YouTube comes in at a close second, with 53% using it, spending an average of 103 minutes each day. As a result, marketers explore advertising options on Roblox and consider influencer collabs with YouTubers that are popular with this group, like MrBeast.

Surprisingly, Amazon Shopping made the list, and points to the ease of shopping even for the youngest of consumers. The report shows this group takes to Amazon to make wish lists and make purchases via their parents’ accounts. Subsequently, you can see more Amazon influencers touting products to these early shoppers.

X, a social media platform that requires users to be 13 years old to create an account, also made the list of most popular apps. The report shows 3 out of 10 kids use the social platform, working around safeguards meant to keep impressionable eyes out.

Gen Alpha: 10-12 years old

At this age, kids are transitioning away from tablets and into smartphones. Almost half (42%) of Gen Alphas in this age bracket have their own phone, and like their younger counterparts, they’re still using their device for gaming and streaming.

Top 5 apps used by 10-12 year olds

Roblox
YouTube
Amazon Shopping
Spotify
Netflix

The top three most-used apps are the same at this age as they are for 7-9 years old, but the time spent on Roblox increases to 138 minutes a day. Shopify, a popular music streaming app, joins the list of favorite apps too.

If you explore app usage further within this cohort, social media becomes more prevalent. Facebook, TikTok, and Pinterest are popular, with kids spending an average of two hours a day on TikTok alone. If the average video on TikTok is about 30 seconds, that means kids are watching upwards of 240 videos a day, according to the report.

Marketers have taken note of this trend and often gravitate toward TikTok to reach this generation. Through organic and paid posts, along with influencer marketing, brands take advantage of the preteens’ love of short-form video.

Gen Alpha: 13-15 years old

Once children hit their teenage years they’re regular smartphone users, with much of their social life tied to their device. They gravitate towards their phone for entertainment and communication, mostly with friends and family.

Top 5 apps used by 13-15 year olds

Spotify
YouTube
Amazon Shopping
Roblox
TikTok

Spotify moves into the most-favored app spot, with 66% of teens listening to music while they read, study, or relax.

While they’re still spending upwards of 80 minutes a day on YouTube, SnapChat takes up a good portion of their day too, with an average of 94 minutes spent chatting with friends.

Teens are eager to fit in, and often look to their peers and social media influencers for guidance. Research shows these savvy scrollers are more compelled by authentic creators who share honest reviews and opinions. The more authentic and trustworthy a teen sees an influencer, the greater their chances of influencing their behavior.

Every generation has its own set of digital preferences and Generation Alpha is no different. At a young age, this group gets acquainted with tech, using it for gaming and watching TV shows, but as they grow, their usage shifts to social media and communication apps. By understanding the habits of these adolescents, marketers can work to build relationships through strategic app choices and carefully selected campaigns.

Sources

Qustodio. “Apps Through the Ages.
eMarketer. “Where and how Gen Alpha consumes content: From YouTube to Netflix to Roblox.”

The Shelf. “The Future is Now: Unpacking the Stats on Gen Alpha’s Marketing Impact.”

NIH. “The effect of social media influencers’ on teenagers Behavior: an empirical study using cognitive map technique.”