Having established itself as a place for authentic self-discovery, YouTube is a mainstay for today’s kids. While entertainment preoccupies much of their time on the platform, it’s also evolved to a place of search and product discovery, ultimately influencing some on their path to purchase.
“On YouTube, there’s a lot more content by kids for kids that is deeply appealing to them,” said Michael Preston, executive director of the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop. “Having search and discovery tools embedded in the platform makes it a different kind of experience.”
That difference in experience extends to kids’ trustworthiness toward the advertising they encounter on the platform. More than three-quarters of kids said they "trust YouTubers over commercials on recommendations on what to buy," according to a March 2019 study from Insight Strategy Group.
One caveat is that younger kids might not be able to differentiate vlogger authenticity from paid promotions. Still, influencers are an effective push to purchase among younger consumers.
In a July 2019 survey from Wunderman Thompson Commerce, roughly a quarter of US and UK children and teens said that influencers and bloggers on YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat influenced their purchases. Their influence was more substantial than celebrities and athletes.