What’s cool with the kids? Apparently not social media as YouTube takes the top spot with other entertainment apps following closely behind.

A new study by Beano Brain, the research arm of Beano Studios, has revealed the top brands among UK children aged 7-14. The annual “100 Coolest Brands Report” gives us old fogeys a glimpse into what’s hot and what’s not.

Entertainment dominated the top spots. YouTube claimed the top position as children’s favourite platform, closely followed by Netflix in second place. Gaming giant Nintendo secured fourth place, whilst Roblox and Disney also made the top ten. Unfortunately, McDonalds nabbed third place.

For music lovers, you can see music become more important with age. Whilst 63% of UK kids aged 11-14 think Spotify is cool, only 49% of 7-10s ranked Spotify as cool. Spotify was in 22nd place for overall brands, the highest music-related company.

In stark contrast to previous years, social media platforms experienced a significant decline in popularity. Social media sites like TikTok, WhatsApp, Snapchat, and Instagram, are no longer cool apparently. Safety concerns were cited as a primary factor.

Bean Brain’s Director of Strategy, Helenor Gilmour explained: “Kids consider YouTube ‘safe’; a place where they’re less likely to stumble across upsetting or inappropriate content.” Parents are increasingly prioritising online safety and government’s are starting to catch up too. Platforms prioritising user protection are gaining a competitive edge as the issue becomes more important.

To clarify, the “100 Coolest Brands Report” asks kids what they think is cool and not necessarily what they use so it is representative of perception more than behaviour.