Aussie kids averaged over two hours a day on TikTok in 2025

Australian children spent more than two hours a day on TikTok in 2025, before the country's under-16 social media ban took effect, according to new data from parental control software provider Qustodio.

The figures are part of Qustodio's annual study of children's app and online tool use. The dataset draws on anonymised device data from more than 400,000 family homes across Australia, the US, Brazil, the UK, France and Spain, and covers 10,000 schools in the US, the UK and Australia.

Australian children averaged 132 minutes a day on TikTok in 2025, higher than in the other markets included in the study. Qustodio also recorded a steady rise over several years, from 75 minutes a day in 2021.

Instagram ranked second among social media apps for Australian children in 2025, at an average of 72 minutes a day, according to the same analysis.

Ban response

Yasmin London, a former police officer and now global online safety expert at Qoria, which owns Qustodio, said discussion about bypassing restrictions had already emerged.

"We're more than a month into the social media ban era, and we're already seeing a 'how to' culture emerging online to discuss methods to skirt the ban. Many under-16 year olds are sharing tips and tricks on the very apps they should be banned from," London said.

The report also highlights where activity may shift if access to major social media services becomes harder to maintain, pointing to messaging apps and gaming platforms with social features such as chat tools and friend networks.

Snapchat was the most-used communication app among Australian children in 2025, with an average of 63 minutes a day. Discord was second at 24 minutes a day, and was not included in the ban, according to the report summary.

"With the ban in place - and assuming they haven't sidestepped the ban in some way - we expect kids who were raised in an online era to migrate to gaming or messenger platforms, such as Discord, Steam and Steam chat, WhatsApp and more," London said.

She also warned that the scope of restricted services could change.

"As the list of banned platforms remains fluid, other apps and platforms could find themselves banned in the future. As such it's vital that parents understand the new platforms kids will engage with in the absence of social media come with their own risks."

Roblox time

Qustodio's Australia figures show particularly high engagement with Roblox, a platform built around user-created games and shared play. Australian children spent more time on Roblox on mobile devices than children in any other market covered by the study.

They averaged 87 minutes a day on Roblox via mobile in Australia, compared with a global average of 76 minutes. On desktop computers, average time spent on Roblox was 133 minutes a day.

London said the difference between device types matters for household oversight.

"When children have mobile phones, parents often make a conscious decision to restrict access to certain apps, or put time limits in place. Yet shared devices, like the family computer or smart television, often slip under the radar," she said.

The report summary notes that Roblox includes restrictions on chat functions for children's accounts. London said some experts have raised concerns about how those restrictions work in practice.

"While Roblox does have its own restrictions on chat functions for kids' accounts, many experts have raised concerns that they don't work and kids can easily skirt them. Having not been included in the government social media ban, it makes use of these online games - and their chat rooms - easy, accessible and, crucially, unmonitored. It will be interesting to see whether the average time spent on Roblox increases in 2026."

The report also found Roblox, Minecraft and Fortnite were the three most blocked gaming platforms on desktop in 2025, reflecting the previous year's pattern. It lists Clash Royale, Brawl Stars and Rocket League among other popular games.

"Children can learn some great skills from gaming, such as problem solving, and as a creative outlet. However, parents need to be aware of the risks that come with online gaming, especially those with a chat function," London said.

"There have been reports of adults using Roblox and other gaming apps to engage with children for nefarious means, such as recruiting, bullying, harassment or grooming. And while those interactions are still limited, they do occur, and parents need to be mindful their kids may be exposed to these risks."

AI uptake

The study also tracks rising use of generative AI tools among children. The share of children in Australia who visited chatgpt.com rose to 46% in 2025, from 24% in 2024, Qustodio reported.

Use of the ChatGPT app also increased. In 2025, 23% of Australian children used the app, averaging 11 minutes a day, compared with 4% in 2024, averaging seven minutes a day.

Qustodio reported a 417% increase in children's use of the ChatGPT app since 2024. It also identified a smaller set of "companion" and chatbot apps, saying usage remained niche, but children who used these apps spent an average of 45 minutes a day on them.

Among those services, Polybuzz was the most-used companion bot app in Australia, with 1.9% of children using it and an average of 47 minutes a day. Character AI was second, with 1.3% using the app and an average of 52 minutes a day. Talkie AI ranked third by reach at 0.7%, but recorded the highest time spent at 60 minutes a day.

London said parents should watch for behavioural changes linked to chatbot use.

"While every child is different, parents and adults need to pay attention to potential red flags around AI chatbot use," she said. "Behavioural changes that could indicate an over-reliance include increasing time spent interacting with chatbots or AI tools; prioritising them over time with friends or family; being secretive about AI use; relying on bots for emotional support; a sudden change in mood; or talking about bots as if they're real people. "If you notice these changes, it's important to start the conversation from a place of curiosity rather than accusation. Ask which AI tools are being used and what they like about them. Explore the positives and negatives together. That way, the user is more likely to open up, and you can create a plan together."

Qustodio said its "Lost in the Scroll" research covers mobile, desktop and school devices, comparing activity across the same period from 2021 to 2025. The 2025 figures were collected from January 1 to December 31, 2025.