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What are the main interests of 8-12 year old kids from ARGENTINA? Where are they active on Youtube, Instagram, Facebook or other Social Media Channels? On which devices and at what time?
Hello! It is my pleasure to respond to your query in providing you with information related to both your queries – the original on the internet habits and interests of tweens in Argentina, and the second on the digital habits of the parents of tweens in Latin America, and more specifically Argentina, Mexico, and Colombia.
As with the first query, the search focus on this query was a bit narrow for information that is publicly available. Since this market (and these three countries in particular) is growing exponentially, we can expect to see a lot more research focused on this region in the near future. In the meantime, however, I have provided you with a wide variety of information related to your queries – to give you the best overall picture of what you are looking for – within the scope of what can be located online.
Please Note: All research included in this brief is from 2013 – 2017, and represents the most recent / current data publicly available.
SUMMARY OF PREVIOUS RESEARCH
After researching this in great depth, it was understandable that the first Analyst was not able to find what you are looking for with regard to Latin American tweens’ internet and social media use and habits. As stated previously, it appears this is not publicly tracked (or if it is, it’s behind a paywall). From the previous research, you learned the following about tweens in Argentina, on which we’ll build this response:
• Argentinian children are generally exposed to the internet before they reach the age of 10.
• Argentinian children most often use their smartphones to access the internet.
• Favorite social media channels of these children include Facebook, Whatsapp, and Snapchat, with Whatsapp being the most popular among Argentinian teens.
• Average time spent on Facebook is about 4.3 hours.
• Experts predict there will be about 24.3 million internet users in Argentina by 2020.
From here, we will expand on the research and discuss the internet use and habits of all of Latin America – with as much specific information about the three (3) target countries as possible, then focus down further in two ways: First, on tweens, and second on older Millennials, which is the most likely set of parents for tweens (8 – 12 years). It is my hope that all of this information combined will provide you with enough data (based on the limited information publicly available) to give you the picture for which you’re searching.
LATIN AMERICA: DIGITAL USAGE & BEHAVIORS
Statista reports that Latin America is the “third largest regional online market, behind Asia and Europe,” so focusing on this region will offer excellent opportunity for expansion within these populations. According to InternetWorldStats (stats10), Latin America has 10.3% of the world’s internet users, while having only 8.3% of the world’s population. For all of Latin America, the internet penetration is at 62.3%, which is significantly higher than the global average of 50.1%. The report also shows that, in Argentina, 79.4% of the population includes internet users, and in Colombia, 58.6% of the population includes internet users. InnovateMedTec reports that, since January 2014, Argentina has seen an impressive 37% growth in active internet users. InternetWorldStats reports that Colombia has also seen significant growth in internet subscribers. Between 2009 and 2016, the number of subscribers increased 499%.
eMarketer reports that, in Mexico in 2015, there were 65.1 million internet users, which equaled nearly 54% of the total population. Of these, 53 million access the internet via their smartphones, with just over 39% indicating that was their primary resource for going online. 10% of internet users in this country reported being “always connected,” while nearly 53% reported spending two or more hours online every day.
Billboard reports that in 2014, Samsung lead the Latin American mobile phone market, with Motorola coming in second place. iPhones (Apple) has only 10% saturation in this market. It is important to note that although about 90% of Latin America has mobile broadband coverage, only about 50% of the population is actually connected online, according to WeForum’s research. The main reasons for this may give you some insight into what types of programming might be useful / helpful for this population: (A) “lack of locally-relevant content,” (B) “lack of digital skills,” and (C) “limited affordability among segments of the population”. If you were looking to create content that was locally-relevant along with content that offered simple, enjoyable instruction on basic digital premises, then you’d likely gain a larger audience share than if you didn’t offer these types of content. This is especially true because research (detailed in the previous response) shows that many tweens access the internet via their mobile phones.
As for content, Billboard reports that the top three digital audiences in Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina) enjoyed entertainment online, more than they enjoyed sports, news sites, or games. Additionally, Cisco notes that almost half of Latin Americans on the internet access online music sites every month, and that online games are very popular (more so in some countries like Colombia, where 60% of users play online games). In Argentina, “entertainment apps grew over 115 percent,” while in Mexico they grew 92%. Nearly half (48%) of Argentina’s internet users watch online videos, most often on the Google video platforms, as reported by Billboard.
Now, let’s take a look at the social media habits of Latin Americans, focusing on Argentina, Mexico, and Colombia as much as possible.
LATIN AMERICA: SOCIAL MEDIA USAGE & BEHAVIORS
Statista shows that “Latin America has the highest daily mobile internet usage in the world,” with the average citizen spending 3.59 hours on internet mobile daily. The report also shows that there were about 260 million social media users in Latin American countries in 2016, which is expected to grow significantly by 2018. As eMarketer reports, Latin American internet users spend more time on social media than other regions in the world do, registering at 29% of time spent online being spent on social media channels. These users register an average of 6.1 hours per day on social media sites. In Argentina, according to InnovateMedTec, the average time spent on social media is 4.3 hours a day.
Portada reports that, in Latin America, 54% of social media users visit blog sites, like Blogger, Wordpress, and Tumblr frequently, though the largest segment of the population (85%) visits Facebook regularly. Additionally, Taringa (“an Argentine social network with a large following in Spanish-speaking countries”) is visited by 11% of this population.
eMarketer reports that, in Mexico, 74.2% of social media users selected Facebook as their digital platform of choice. In this country, Whatsapp outranked Twitter as another favorite. LatinPost notes that 92% of 18 – 55 year-old Mexican internet users access Facebook daily, with Google+ earning 59% of users, Whatsapp earning 45% of users, and Twitter garnering 41%. Additionally, LatinPost reports that, “by 2018, Mexico will enter double-digit figures with 12.6 million [Twitter] users,” as that platform offers the second-largest base within Latin America. For all of Latin America, experts state that Twitter users will number 43.3 million by 2018. InternetWorldStats reports that, in Colombia, 53.5% of the population has Facebook profiles.
Cisco reports that Latin American countries, and more specifically “Mexico, Venezuela, Chile, Brazil, and Argentina,” hold five of the top 10 spots for “largest social TV markets in the world,” which indicates a definite trend – and possible avenue for content for you.
Now, let’s go back to your original request, and look at information on Latin American tweens’ digital behaviors.
LATIN AMERICAN TWEENS: DIGITAL & SOCIAL MEDIA BEHAVIORS
Global Kids Online – Argentina reports that the average age of first accessing the internet in Argentina is 10.8, with 41% accessing it between the ages of 7 – 10. They also report for that country, that of the 13+ million children and adolescents in the country, 80% have used smartphones to access the internet. The report states: “For children, social media is a common way of communicating and interacting with the world. They build their identity around their interactions both in the ‘real’ and ‘virtual’ world. Activities such as chatting, online gaming, browsing and exchanging information and content are regular habits in their everyday life and also in the exercise of their digital citizenship.” About 59% of this population accesses the internet via a desktop or laptop computer, as well. The report notes that on frequency, this group accesses the internet “all the time,” with girls spending more time online than boys. They most often surf online at home, at relatives’ homes, or at friends’ homes. Additionally, the study shows that “almost all adolescents use social media,” with 95% having a Facebook profile.
With respect to their parents knowing what they’re doing online, 50% of adolescents stated that they do not listen to parental recommendations about online viewing, and many reported that their parents know nothing of their online behaviors. Considering 56.5% of children aged 3 to 12 use computers to go online, this lack of parental supervision and guidance is important to note. Please Note: This report generally covers adolescents aged 13 – 18 (rather than the tween demographic you’re looking for), though some information applies to younger users. I have detailed the pertinent information here, and if you’d like to view the rest of the report (which you may find very useful), I’ve included it here for you. Again, this information does not appear to be tracked anywhere for those under the age of 13.
In Mexico, Viacom reports that only 12% of content discovered by those aged 4 – 11 comes from the internet, including social media networks. An additional 15% discover content based on “recommendations given by the sources they use, based on their interests”. This is important to note so that your algorithms for content suggestions for your users are tight – and offer a wide selection from which to choose based on their demographics and interests profiles. In Mexico, 17% of content discovered comes from source recommendations, which may indicate a greater need for strong algorithms for that country.
No information could be found on the most popular apps for tweens in Latin American countries, nor was any information on preferred content located despite a deep dive. As stated previously, this market may be too new for the kind of information you’re looking for to be tracked – and publicly available as of yet.
Now, let’s look at Latin American Millennials, which are the most likely group to have children between the ages of 8 – 12.
LATIN AMERICAN MILLENNIALS: DIGITAL & SOCIAL MEDIA BEHAVIORS
Please Note: This information includes research on Latin American Millennials, and is not solely-focused on Latin American Millennial parents – as that demographic is too narrow to locate information via publicly available research.
FBInsights discusses how “Millennials in Mexico, Colombia, and Argentina are making it a priority to stay connected,” meaning they are generally connecting to the internet all day long, and “are a driving force in the region’s evolving mobile landscape”. Millennials are often conducting multi-screen experiences, like surfing Facebook or the internet while watching TV, which 59% of those in these countries do. This knowledge offers “brands an amazing opportunity to engage Millennials across multiple touchpoints and deliver a more immersive and relevant experience than ever”.
In Argentina, 19% of internet users access the internet via “feature phones,” and “access continues to grow”. Of these users, 95% of them surf Facebook from home. In Colombia, 78% of internet users access Facebook on Android phones, which is less than the 76% who report watching TV daily. 67% of Colombian Millennials report watching online videos daily. In Mexico, 61% of the online population watches videos online daily, with “online video [being] on par with TV” in that country. Top reasons for staying connected all day are “staying up-to-date with things that matter to them” and connecting with others on shared interests. Since these individuals generally access social media sites (and Facebook in particular) first thing in the morning, on their commutes to and from work/school, and last thing before they go to sleep – all to quickly “check-in” or maybe view a photo or status update, these insights offer marketers perfect “moments of contextual usage” in targeting content.
FBInsights also offers brands suggestions on how to market and/or produce content for those in each of our target three countries, because each one is in a different stage of mobile development. Mexico is farthest along in internet and mobile development, with Colombia falling in the middle, and Argentina being at the newest / lowest end of the development spectrum. These suggestions include:
• In Mexico, focus on expanding opportunities in online video
• In Colombia, deliver multiscreen experiences via internet and TV
• In Argentina, understand that feature phones are the primary method of access – and target your campaigns to those devices
LatinVex points out several areas of focus for content related to Millennials and Millennial-aged parents. These include:
• Family-oriented programming that serves to educate as well as entertain
• Content related to improving sustainability practices within the home and community, providing for family, and improving position in society
• Content that will educate them or improve their general skills
• Content that will help them improve job-related skills (and that will help them earn more)
• Content related to entrepreneurial endeavors or increased opportunities for independence
One possible way to find out more about preferred content by this aged individual in this region would be to search the most popular content across social media sites in particular. This is an involved search that would need to be focusing extremely specifically – and be broken down by social media network – to be most useful – and to possibly locate the most information. Again, however, I caution you in that this information might not be publicly available yet either, unfortunately. On the bright side, it does look like you’ve selected a strong emerging market on which to focus, so more information – and more specific demographical and content breakdowns – should be available over the next several years.
ADDITIONAL AVENUES FOR RESEARCH
SparkGroup put out some interesting research on the increasing popularity of social media-based activism, especially in Latin American countries. Since Millennials are one of the largest groups supporting activism of all kinds, this might give you some insight into other types of content that might increase your market share.
VentureBeat, along with Intel Security, published the results of a study on digital lifestyle and connected families, which may include some relevant research for you, as one of the countries included within the survey is Mexico.
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SUMMARY
Latin America is the third largest regional internet market in the world. It hosts 10.3% of the world’s internet users, while having only 8.3% of the world’s total population. Among Mexico, Colombia, and Argentina, Mexico has the most developed market with 54% of the population accessing the internet, 39% of which go online most via their smartphones. This audience enjoys entertainment online most of all, followed by sports, news sites, and games, for each of which the popularity ratios change by country.
Latin America has the highest daily mobile internet usage across the globe, with the average citizen spending over three-and-half hours a day online via their smartphones. In 2016, there were 260 million social media users in Latin America, and that number is expected to grow significantly by 2018. 54% of Latin Americans access blog sites, and 85% of the population (higher in some countries) access Facebook regularly. Additionally, Mexico and Argentina are among the five countries holding five of the top 10 spots for largest social TV markets in the world.
Latin American youths are between 10 and 11 on average when they first access the internet, and most (80%) do so via smartphones. They most often access social media networks to connect socially, as well as chatting, gaming, and browsing/exchanging content. Girls spend more time online than boys do, although many of them report accessing the internet “all the time”. Latin American Millennials make it a priority to stay connected and can be found accessing the internet at any time during the day, but especially when they wake up, on their commutes, and before going to sleep. Content and campaigns dedicated to online individuals of all ages in Mexico, Colombia, and Argentina need to be focused specifically on the types of markets they are, as well as from the types of content that will most appeal to them. They need to be approached from a mobile-first perspective that includes multi-screen or integrated content, and via their preferred methods of content delivery.
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Thank you again for your question, and I hope this information gives you what you need. Please contact Wonder again for any other questions you may have!