Researchers at RMIT University want to hear from 8- to 12-year-old children around Australia to find out what they like (and don’t like) to watch, and how they watch it.

Tween-age children are a unique audience demographic. Existing research shows that there are many tricky grey areas that tweens and their families have to navigate when it comes to viewing, from algorithmically curated content on platforms like YouTube and TikTok which may be inappropriate to deep fakes and low-quality AI generated content, and shows on streaming services that seem family friendly but may not actually be suitable for children their age.

This research will help the ACTF and the broader industry better understand how tweens watch and choose their content.

In the initial phase of the study, the researchers are calling for children aged 8-12 to participate in a survey about how they use streaming video platforms (such as Netflix, YouTube, Disney+, ABC iView etc.) to watch screen entertainment content (films, TV, videos).

In the next phase, the researchers will run focus groups with tweens to speak with them directly about their screen entertainment habits, tastes, and ideas to shape a better future.

If you have a tween or know one who’d like to take part in this research and share their experiences and views, please contact Dr Djoymi Baker djoymi.baker@rmit.edu.au for a survey link.