While the idea of banning social networks to those under 15 is making a strong comeback in public debate, little is said about the actual uses of adolescents. To see things more clearly, the Heaven agency has been carrying out groundbreaking work for ten years, showing that the use of the Web by 12-13 year olds – the so-called “Alpha” generation, born with Instagram and Snapchat – is more subtle than it seems. For several years, the observation has remained the same: even if they are not supposed to be there, and despite prevention campaigns, children – “these invisible users who do not enter the statistics” – continue to use the platforms massively.
76% of the 200 respondents say they use a social network (WhatsApp included, but without YouTube). A stable figure compared to last year, although down compared to the post-Covid peak. The average screen time during a school day reaches two hours, 25 minutes more than in 2024.
Video games, the digital playground
Beyond the statistics, the study highlights practices that are often overlooked in the adult world, notably the way in which children socialize online. 61% say they spontaneously turn to video games to meet up with their friends, i.e. 39 points more than in 2020. The favorites remain roughly the same: Roblox (cited by 47% of respondents), appreciated as much by boys as by girls for its customization of avatars and its minigames, Fortnite, Minecraft, Animal Crossing or even Brawl Stars, a particularly addictive shooting game.
SMS (61%) and messaging (57%) such as WhatsApp and Messenger are also popular for communicating with loved ones. On the other hand, social networks (Instagram, TikTok, etc.) only come in fifth position: only 30% of those under 13 use them to communicate with their friends. The vast majority (80%) of those who have an account do not exceed 50 contacts, and half never publish.
TikTok and Insta, consumption platforms
Note a fairly stereotypical difference in usage: 82% of children spontaneously using online video game applications are boys, while 82% of those who favor video calling applications are girls.
This development is confirmed during adolescence: TikTok and Instagram become more consumption platforms than interaction platforms. For the tenth anniversary of its barometer, Heaven interviewed former participants. « Many explain that social platforms have become scrolling spaces »explains Emmanuel Berne, director of the consulting branch of Heaven. TikTok, where they reproduced younger choreographies, now serves them to stave off boredom, they say, by binge content related to studies, video games, “drama” or humorous videos. “16-25 year olds are acutely aware of the recommendation algorithm, adds Emmanuel Berne. Many report using the “reset” function of Instagram and TikTok to reset their suggestions.”
YouTube, WhatsApp and Snapchat: the top three
Among those under 13, TikTok and Instagram are also consulted, but are not among the most used platforms, because their access is often limited by parental control. YouTube is therefore their number 1 platform, often because their first steps online were taken on YouTube Kids. « And with Shorts formats, they access content also broadcast on TikTok without having an account. »explains Emmanuel Berne.
WhatsApp now comes in second place, ahead of Snapchat. “Messaging has the advantage of being neutral, reassuring for parents, and used by the whole family, even grandparents. But the youngest are hijacking its social functions – channels, statuses, stories – to circumvent parental controls which prohibit them from Instagram or TikTok”observes Emmanuel Berne. Thus, 19% of 12-13 year olds publish “status” on WhatsApp (equivalent to stories on Instagram), a feature little used by older people.
Snapchat maintains its third place thanks to its well-integrated social codes. The “Snap score”, calculated according to the number of messages sent and received, is, for example, widely observed by adolescents, because it serves to establish a form of social hierarchy.
ChatGPT a fast progression
Last strong lesson from the study: the growing use of AI. 22% of 12-13 year olds say they use an AI every week or month, compared to 9% in 2023. ChatGPT concentrates the majority (49%) of these young users, far ahead of Gemini (11%). Chatbots integrated into social platforms like My AI from SnapChat “don’t work”says Emmanuel Berne.
But AI does not yet rival social networks or video games in terms of time spent. “ChatGPT remains marginal on the screen time scale. Younger people use it in short bursts, as they did before with Google. The challenge for AI players is now to retain their users in their environment for as long as possible…”he emphasizes.
