Children’s screen time in Germany – Results of the Novakid 2024 survey

Novakid, a leading online English school for children aged 4 to 12, has revolutionised language learning with its innovative platform. Since it was founded in 2017, the platform has delivered over 18 million lessons to more than 500,000 students across 50 countries.

By combining full language immersion with interactive games and activities, Novakid makes learning English engaging and effective. Their courses, led by certified native English teachers and native speakers, align with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), ensuring a high-quality education experience for young learners.

In addition to offering cutting-edge language lessons, Novakid conducts research and surveys to explore the influence of multilingualism, culture and technology on family life. In this article, they unveil the findings of a recent survey examining how children in Germany spend time on screen-based activities, from education to entertainment.

Novakid unveils the results of the 2024 annual children’s screen use survey 

33% more German children spend more than 6 hours per week learning online than in 2022. 

Novakid, an online English learning platform for children aged 4 to 12, has released the results of its latest survey on the time children around the world spend in front of screens. Compared to the same survey in 2022, the 2024 survey shows significant changes in the digital habits of young children, highlighting both parents’ concerns and the positive impact of online education.

The survey, which surveyed more than 2,000 families, takes into account, among other things, the time German children spend on screen-based activities, from learning to entertainment. For example, Novakid highlights the rise of edutainment, a new form of education, and its growing acceptance among parents.

From entertainment to educational screen use in Germany

While 56% of German parents still express concern about the amount of time their children spend online playing non-educational games or surfing the Internet, an important finding for Germany is the significant increase in screen use for educational purposes among German children. The use of screens for learning purposes has increased from 3% in 2022 to 35% in 2024, an increase of 32%. The largest percentage increase was recorded in Italy (43%) and the smallest percentage increase (15%) in Japan. German families are increasingly open to online learning as a way to promote their children’s academic development. When analysing screen activity in Germany, learning ranks first of all online activities: 35% of children use screens to study, compared to 6% for social media and 4% for digital hobbies. 

Novakid’s CEO and co-founder, Max Azarov, commented: “We want to provide German families with a platform that reinforces the prevailing trend in Germany to spend most of their time in front of the screen learning and developing. Our approach is to use games,  interactive lessons and conversation courses to facilitate the learning of a new language that is entertaining as well as educational and to avoid unnecessary screen time for children“.

Edutainment: The Future of Learning in Germany

The term “edutainment” (education and entertainment) is on the rise in Germany. When asked whether the time their children spend in front of the screen is educational, 47% of parents agreed and 8% strongly agreed, for a total of 55% of parents. 34% were neutral and only 11% disagreed.

The results for Germany also show that only 6% of children use screens for social media, a figure half that of Austria and Indonesia, where the number of users is lowest at 12%, and only one-sixth of the highest number by far (37%) in Japan.

Max Azarov added: “We believe that the future of learning in Germany will be shaped by fun educational content where children learn through play, thus increasing their engagement in teacher-led teaching.”

German parents recognise the value of online learning over traditional methods

In Germany, more and more parents are proactively encouraging their children to learn and become familiar with technology at an early age. Novakid’s 2024 survey shows that 46% believe interactive learning tools make their children more interested in a topic; 44% say their children can review the material as many times as needed, improving their understanding, and 40% believe that online education gives them access to a wider variety of educational resources. 

A final comment from German parents on e-learning

When it comes to e-learning, 63% of German parents said they would be likely (34%) or definitely (29%) to recommend online learning to other parents – an encouraging figure considering the benefits it can bring when used carefully, in moderation as part of parental controls.

Read about the findings of a similar Novakid survey conducted in France, or watch our latest interview with Novakid co-founder and CEO Max Azarov.

Find out more about Novakid and book your free trial here.