A 10-Year-old and Technology

Our Trendspotter panels keep give us a continuous feed of insight through 365 days a year. We thought we’d take a look at one of today’s hottest topics – technology, devices and access to content – through the eyes of one of our UK Trendspotters. She’s not an early adopter but not a laggard either. Here’s what a school week looks like for “Emma” through the prism of technology as she navigates the family rules. If you’d like to explore similar in the US or China – get in touch!

Emma turned 10 recently and has just entered year 6. She lives in the quiet suburbs of the UK with her mum, dad and older sister aged 13. Emma’s typical week is jam-packed with after school sports and activities from netball practice to swimming and football tournaments. She’s not the biggest fan of school but loves seeing her friends during the week and at weekends. Mum is usually on hand to help organise the different activities so if Emma wants a playdate with friends, then she sends a WhatsApp message on her mum’s phone. It’s not the norm to go knocking on your friend’s door asking them to play, Emma thinks that’s plain weird.

It’s not easy for Emma to watch her older sister using TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram on her mobile phone which she’s not allowed to have just yet. Her sister got her first phone in year 6 and Emma is still waiting. It doesn’t stop her from exploring other ways to watch TikTok videos though and she finds them in YouTube. She’ll also closely watch what her sister buys to see what is trending and popular to stay in the know.

When boredom sets in, which rarely happens, Emma will watch YouTube on the main TV with mum close by listening in to make sure she’s watching something appropriate. It’s usually a video of a YouTuber like Jordan Matter or a slime tutorial from 'PeachyBbies'. But Emma’s mum knows that she can’t shelter her from everything otherwise she’ll struggle to fit in with kids at school. As an allowance, Emma can go on Roblox with friends on the tablet where she might play on jump scare games for laughs, Brookhaven or Dress to Impress. As long as she doesn’t talk to anyone she doesn’t know, then she’s allowed to play on these games.

Since the move to year 6, Emma feels more grown up and can’t wait to get her first phone which will be a coming-of-age milestone. She knows that some kids can become obsessive and is aware that she spends a lot of time outdoors without one but wants to experience the digital freedom her sister has. In Emma’s opinion, phones are an important part of staying sociable and making friends, she doesn’t want to be left out.

Trendspotters is Beano Brains qualitative collective of kids aged 8-13yo. All insights are sourced from our Trendspotters experience and interactions with technology.