Research shows that TikTok is the most used social network by children and adolescents in Brazil.
A survey was carried out by the Regional Center for Studies for the Development of the Information Society (Cetic.br) to catalog and understand the profile of users aged 9 to 17 who use the Internet in Brazil.
The survey, called TIC Kids Online Brasil, was based on interviews with 2,651 children and adolescents – accompanied by their parents and guardians – between October 2021 and March 2022.
The data showed that 93% of children and adolescents in Brazil use the internet. Of these, 78% have access to social networks, but only 38% actually make posts – since, theoretically, the platforms do not accept profiles of children under 13 years old.
Regarding platforms, WhatsApp and Instagram are the social networks where more users have profiles, but TikTok is the most used – 34% of respondents consider it as the main social network.
Other relevant data is that the South, Southeast and Center-West regions have higher rates of internet use; and 32% of internet users aged 11 to 17 have already sought emotional support on the internet.
Inequalities and use of advertising
The survey also showed the inequality that permeates the subject in the country: about 2.1 million children and adolescents live in households without a computer or internet.
According to Luísa Adib, coordinator of the ICT Kids Online Brazil survey, this inequality is noticeable in terms of access to new platforms.
According to her, classes A and B are more present in new platforms than classes C and DE. Adib also notes that the new platforms make these differences more pronounced.
The survey also showed that 81% of internet users between the ages of 11 and 17 have seen advertisements for products or brands on the internet. This contact occurred mainly on video sites (67%) and through influencers (62%).
TIC Kids Online Brasil
The TIC Kids Online Brasil survey aims to understand the use of the internet by children and adolescents (9 to 17 years old) in Brazil. Held since 2012, it produces indicators on opportunities and risks related to this population.
The survey interviews children and adolescents, along with their parents or guardians. Dimensions of access, use and appropriation of information and communication technologies are investigated, such as profile of use of the internet and social networks, skills for their use, risks and damages, consumption and mediation.
TIC Kids Online Brazil is supported by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco), the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef), the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and researchers from Brazilian and foreign universities.
Also read: TSE and Social Networks: Agreement to combat disinformation (in Portuguese)