2020… what a year it has been. Covid’s impact has been significant and as we look into 2021, we acknowledge the short and long term changes that have occurred this year. It’s no secret that children and young people’s lives and behaviours have been impacted and lots of adjustments have been made. From the changes in the way children are taught to variations in how communication with friends and family occurs, it’s been a year like no other. At The Hub, we had a great opportunity to speak to a diverse range of young people whilst conducting our annual kids and youth qualitative tracker. Covid and time away from school, friends and family has resulted in a mix of emotions and experiences and this time has been a period of change for young people and their parents also.
Whilst conducting research during Covid has been different (and sometimes a little more challenging!), insight has still been plentiful. Market research has a valuable role to play in the age of Covid to ensure we keep abreast of how kids, teens and young adults behaviours and attitudes are being impacted, how their needs have and are shifting and what brands and services should be aware of in order to service them, now and going forwards.
From speaking to a wide range of individuals this year, not everyone’s experiences have been the same. We uncovered how young people have found learning throughout Covid, from starting schools and university at this time and how futures, gap years and job prospects have been impacted. To see a sneak peak of how some of the young people we spoke to have found lockdown please click here.
As frequently reported, it’s all about social media when it comes to young audiences; technology is continuously evolving with apps such as Snapchat, TikTok and Instagram all attracting younger audiences. Through our research we have seen how essential technology and social media has been for young people to stay in touch with friends and keep connections going; especially throughout lockdown. We’re calling 2020 ‘the year where technology replaced real life’. Recent stats have shown that Snapchat has 250 million daily users and currently reaches more than 90% of the "Generation Z" population in the US, aged 13 to 24, and more than 60% of 13-34-year olds in the UK, France, Canada and Australia, these figures show the huge popularity it has currently around the world. From speaking to individuals in our sessions, Facebook usage in young people continues to decline while the popularity of Snapchat and Instagram is rising. This is supported by research which shows in 2015, Facebook was the most used social network by 12-15 year olds however in 2019 that title was taken by Snapchat.
The Hub’s kids and youth qualitative tracker 2020 is an eye opening deep dive into the lives of young people and their opinions on a range of topics. If you’re interested in hearing more about the tracker and some of the trends and opinions of young people, get in touch with Afra Acquah, Associate Director Qual (afra@discoveryres.co.uk) and Helen Lockett, Senior Research Manager Quant (helen@discoveryres.co.uk).
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