The number of children using the internet in the UK has increased by almost 60% over the last twelve months to almost 5 million, according to the latest research from Nielsen//NetRatings.
The study shows that Britain has more under eighteens using the internet than any other European country, suggesting that brands wishing to target the lucrative youth audience should turn to online advertising.
The overall number of children online in Europe has grown by 3 million in the last year to more than 13 million. Younger children are getting online faster than older children across most European countries and there are now four million under-12s using the internet, compared to 9 million 12 to 17 year-olds.
Commenting on the research, European market analyst, Tom Ewing, said: “As the internet matures, the demographic profile of users moves closer to the European population as a whole. What we’re seeing now is families using the internet more.”
He added: “It’s likely that this is linked with the growth of broadband access – perhaps when they’re not paying for access minute by minute, parent are likely to let children explore the web more.”
The research shows that mobile phone websites and online kids’ communities make the most attractive targets for advertisers wanting to reach children. File sharing giant Kazaa also attracts large numbers of younger consumers.
Ewing added: “Currently the large majority of sites with a large under-18 audience are aiming at teenagers. But it’s the under-12s are the fastest growing internet sector and the sites which they enjoy and which their parents trust are in a position to grow very strongly over the next twelve months.”
