Media literacy enables people to have the skills, knowledge and understanding they need to make full use of the opportunities presented both by traditional and by new communications services. Media literacy also helps people to manage content and communications and protect themselves and their families from the potential risks associated with using these services.
Our research includes findings relating to parents’ views about their children’s media use, and the ways that parents seek to – or decide not to – monitor or limit use of different types of media.
The Communications Act 2003 and Online Safety Act 2023 place responsibilities on Ofcom to promote, and to carry out research into, media literacy. Our research into children’s media literacy contributes to Ofcom's fulfilment of this duty, and forms part of our wider Making Sense of Media programme.
Children and parents: media use and attitudes report 2024
This report looks at media use, attitudes and understanding among children and young people aged 3-17. It also includes findings on parents’ views about their children’s media use, and how parents of children and young people aged 3-17 monitor and manage their children’s use. The report provides a comprehensive picture of children’s media experiences in 2023 as a reference for industry, policymakers, academics and the general public.
The Children’s Media Lives project follows, as far as possible, the same group of 21 children aged 8 to 17, conducting filmed interviews each year to learn about their media habits and attitudes. This research began in 2014 as a way of providing a small-scale, rich and detailed qualitative complement to Ofcom’s quantitative surveys of media literacy.
Children and parents: media use and attitudes report 2023
This report looks at media use, attitudes and understanding among children and young people aged 3-17.
It also includes findings on parents’ views about their children’s media use, and how parents of children and young people aged 3-17 monitor and manage their children’s use. The report is intended to provide a comprehensive picture of children’s media experiences in 2021 as a reference for industry, policymakers, academics and the general public.
The Communications Act 2003 places a responsibility on Ofcom to promote, and to carry out research into, media literacy. We define media literacy as ‘the ability to use, understand and create media and communications in a variety of contexts’. This report forms part of our wider Making Sense of Media programme.
This document provides analysis of the findings from the ninth year of Ofcom’s Children’s Media Lives study. As far as possible, the research has followed the same 21 children, aged 8-18, over consecutive years, interviewing them on camera each year about their media habits and attitudes.
The study provides evidence about the motivations and the context of children’s media use, and how media are part of their daily lives and domestic circumstances. It also provides rich detail on how media habits and attitudes change over time, particularly in relation to children's emotional and cognitive development.
This research is designed as a way of providing a small-scale, rich and detailed qualitative complement to Ofcom’s quantitative surveys of media literacy.
Children and parents: media use and attitudes report 2022
This report looks at media use, attitudes and understanding among children and young people aged 3-17.
It also includes findings on parents’ views about their children’s media use, and how parents of children and young people aged 3-17 monitor and manage their children’s use. The report is intended to provide a comprehensive picture of children’s media experiences in 2021 as a reference for industry, policymakers, academics and the general public.
The Communications Act 2003 places a responsibility on Ofcom to promote, and to carry out research into, media literacy. We define media literacy as ‘the ability to use, understand and create media and communications in a variety of contexts’. This report forms part of our wider Making Sense of Media programme.
This document provides analysis of the findings from the eighth year of Ofcom’s Children’s Media Lives study. As far as possible, the research has followed the same 18 children, aged 8-18, over consecutive years, interviewing them on camera each year about their media habits and attitudes.
The study provides evidence about the motivations and the context of children’s media use, and how media are part of their daily lives and domestic circumstances. It also provides rich detail on how media habits and attitudes change over time, particularly in relation to children's emotional and cognitive development.
This research is designed as a way of providing a small-scale, rich and detailed qualitative complement to Ofcom’s quantitative surveys of media literacy.
Children and parents: media use and attitudes report 2020/21
This report examines children’s media literacy. It provides detailed evidence on media use, attitudes and understanding among children and young people aged 5-15, as well as about the media access and use of young children aged 3-4.
The report also includes findings relating to parents’ views about their children’s media use, and the ways that parents seek – or decide not – to monitor or limit use of different types of media.
The report is a reference for industry, stakeholders and consumers. It also provides context to the work Ofcom undertakes in furthering the interests of consumers and citizens in the markets we regulate.
This report provides analysis of the findings from the seventh year of Ofcom’s Children’s Media Lives study. As far as possible, the research has followed the same 18 children, aged 8-18, over consecutive years, interviewing them on camera each year about their media habits and attitudes.
The study provides evidence about the motivations and the context of children’s media use, and how media are part of their daily lives and domestic circumstances. It also provides rich detail on how media habits and attitudes change over time, particularly in relation to children's emotional and cognitive development.
This research is designed as a way of providing a small-scale, rich and detailed qualitative complement to Ofcom’s quantitative surveys of media literacy.
Children’s Media Lives: Covid-19 specific findings
This report provides analysis of the findings of a Covid-19 specific wave of Ofcom’s Children’s Media Lives study. The research began in 2014 as a way of providing a small-scale, rich and detailed qualitative complement to Ofcom’s quantitative surveys of media literacy.
Children’s and parents media use and attitudes report 2019
This report examines children’s media literacy. It provides detailed evidence on media use, attitudes and understanding among children and young people aged 5-15, as well as about the media access and use of young children aged 3-4.
The report also includes findings relating to parents’ views about their children’s media use, and the ways that parents seek – or decide not – to monitor or limit use of different types of media.
The report is a reference for industry, stakeholders and consumers. It also provides context to the work Ofcom undertakes in furthering the interests of consumers and citizens in the markets we regulate.
We have also produced a collection of worksheets for children aged 8-11.
This report provides analysis of the findings from the sixth year of Ofcom’s Children’s Media Lives study. As far as possible, the research has followed the same 18 children, aged 8-15 at the beginning of the study, over consecutive years, interviewing them on camera each year about their media habits and attitudes.
The study provides evidence about the motivations and the context of children’s media use, and how media are part of their daily lives and domestic circumstances. It also provides rich detail on how media habits and attitudes change over time, particularly in relation to children's emotional and cognitive development.
This research is designed as a way of providing a small-scale, rich and detailed qualitative complement to Ofcom’s quantitative surveys of media literacy.
- Children’s and parents media use and attitudes report 2018
- Life on the small screen: What children are watching and why (PDF, 6.1 MB)
This report examines children’s media literacy. It provides detailed evidence on media use, attitudes and understanding among children and young people aged 5-15, as well as about the media access and use of young children aged 3-4.
The report also includes findings relating to parents’ views about their children’s media use, and the ways that parents seek – or decide not – to monitor or limit use of different types of media.
The report is a reference for industry, stakeholders and consumers. It also provides context to the work Ofcom undertakes in furthering the interests of consumers and citizens in the markets we regulate.
Ofcom commissioned this qualitative research to explore what video content children are watching, how they reach it and why they choose it.
It is always difficult for people – even adults – to articulate why they like what they like. For children, it can be even harder, so research that relies on asking them this question won’t reveal the full picture.
Instead, this research has gathered an objective dataset of what children watched across all platforms, before exploring with them the context, journey and decision-making process that led them to specific examples.
Older research is available through the National Archives.