A new year brings a new forecast of things to come, and UK-based kids research firm The Insights Family has released its latest Future Forecast 2023 report today, covering the trends it expects to play out in the industry this year.

Some of them are familiar—streamers could bundle their services together, and NFTs could get bigger—but there are also some brand-new ones to note.

1. TikTok as the go-to search engine

Move over, Google: Kids may start flocking to social platforms that feature short, bite-sized clips—such as TikTok, Instagram and YouTube Shorts—for news and to get their burning questions answered. In Q3 2022, there was a 125% increase in the number of kids ages 10 to 18 who reported watching informative content on TikTok.

Lots of them are on the social platform already, of course—globally, 40% used it in 2022, with Mexico (68%) and Brazil (63%) clocking in with the highest penetration levels. So it’s not that much of a stretch for kids to want to get their info where they’re already being entertained, posits Insights Family.

YouTube Shorts is also in contention for the search engine crown, with 9% of tweens and teens watching educational videos there in the last three months.

2. Sports needs kids, but do kids care about sports?

It’s no secret that professional sports like football, basketball and even golf are eager to attract and engage kid viewers. (Just look at how Excel Sports Management and the NFL both teamed with Nickelodeon last year to make youth-skewing broadcasts for golf and football, respectively). Whether 2023 is a big year for sports in kids media depends on whether the audience embraces these kinds of efforts on TV or online/social.

It looks like things could swing either way this year. In 2022, kids spent about 67 minutes a day watching TV (including sports) and 70 minutes online, says The Insight Family. But a rise in tech like AR might sway them to get in the game.

3. Linear’s big return

Linear could come back as “a primary way to watch TV” as households cut back on entertainment spending. The sheer number of competing streamers may lead some families to return to linear instead of paying for multiple subscriptions.

So it’s prime time for companies to launch their content on linear—and if possible, launch their own linear channels (like Moonbug’s recent debut of a CoComelon feed in Africa).

Interestingly, Insights Family notes that linear in the UK already has a decent audience, with about a third of eight- to 18-year-olds saying they watch either the BBC (31%) or ITV (29%).

4. Kids will do more in-game shopping

The Insights Family predicts that shopping on community-driven gaming platforms like Roblox could eventually replace shopping in brick-and-mortar stores. And a combination of factors should help this trend along in 2023.

The researcher’s data shows that 41% of teens and tweens would rather spend money on an experience than a product, and 78% of kids ages three to 18 reported playing video games in the last three months.

Brands looking to get in on this movement should consider creating retail activations in both physical stores and on game platforms like Roblox (along the lines of what Nike did with NIKELAND).

5. The next generation of entrepreneurs will be kids

It has never been easier for kids to make money exploring their passions, and they’re eager to dive in. Whether it’s YouTube videos or playing games for rewards (common prizes nowadays are avatar skins, NFTs and cryptocurrencies), kids are earning online.

This year, we could see a lot more of them trying to become entrepreneurs by starting their own businesses or just monetizing their interests. About a third of teens in Canada (36%), the US (34%) and Australia (32%) are earning their own money, according to The Insights Family, and younger kids are keen to join them. The rise in easy-to-use tech (like the ability to stream video gameplay on Twitch) is expected to enable more kidpreneurship.

Photo courtesy of Tim Guow via Unsplash