Children Love Print

Children read magazines and books – preferably on paper – confirmed by the 2024 “Kinder Medien Monitor” children’s media monitor.
 
The report suggests that nearly 4.8 million (59 percent) of four- to 13-year-olds read at least one of the listed magazines and at least 5.7 million (71 percent) of parents also read these print products. Besides the reach of 25 print magazines, the market media study offers extensive data on the media usage of children in their leisure time and represents eight million children in Germany aged four to 13. It is published by Egmont Ehapa Media, Gruner + Jahr, Super RTL, Edeka Media, and Panini publishing house.
 
The four- to 13-year-olds have long used a wide range of the available media: They watch TV series, movies or videos (92 percent), listen to music, audio books, radio dramas, podcasts and radio (88 percent) and play digital games (59 percent) multiple times a week. They also read magazines, comics, mangas or books (63 percent) – preferably on paper (88 percent). Still, as they become older, they are more open to digital variants. Some differences stand out among the age groups: According to the report, 53 percent of four- and five-year-old girls, 67 percent of six- to nine-year-old girls and 58 percent of ten- to 13-year-old girls enjoy reading books. By contrast, 36 percent of four- and five-year-old boys, 47 percent of six- to nine-year old boys and ten- to 13-year-old boys favor magazines. With more than 600,000 readers per issue, the most high-circulation magazines for children are currently “Just Kick-it!”, “GEOlino” and “Walt Disneys Lustiges Taschenbuch”.
 
Analog leisure time
Visual and haptic experiences are definitely important to the youngest age groups: Among a total of ten analog leisure activities, board games and card games come in seventh place, popular with 44 percent of the children. Nowadays, the youngest age groups use various media depending on their mood and the situation, usually within the limits their parents consider appropriate. When it comes to selecting books and magazines, 42 percent of them are given free rein. As versatile as the media offerings and individual as the preferences are, media allow children to relax, laugh, immerse themselves in exciting stories and simply escape everyday life – they offer welcome downtime. Many children look for thrills in their reading: 55 percent of six- to 13-year-olds enjoy reading because they like exciting stories, while 53 percent read to relax. And 59 percent of six- to 13-year-olds even like advertisements in magazines and comics.
Parents feel confident in their handling of different media, while classic media enjoy their highest level of trust. They find magazines especially suitable for children to absorb contents at their own pace (68 percent), to foster imagination and creativity (63 percent) and to learn how to properly handle media (56 percent). 66 percent believe that magazines enhance learning effects among their children.
 
Yours,
Frank Baier
Editor-in-chief bindereport