Kids love apps! According to the “Global Apps for Kids Market: Research Report“ as of 2022, the market for children’s apps was valued at 1 billion dollars and is projected to reach over 4 billion by 2030.1 This shows just how much interest and activity is happening in the space; as well as how much opportunity there is for entrepreneurs.
Yet, there is a problem. In particular, a substantial amount of research shows that many apps are letting kids down.
For example, in a recent study of the most frequently downloaded 100 educational apps from Google Play and Apple Store, the investigators found that overall, the apps scored low on a) active learning, b) engagement in the learning process, c) meaningful learning, and d) social interaction.2
Several reasons cited for low ratings were:
- Just tapping the screen and therefore not much mental effort is needed, and hence not much learning.
- Too many distractions, frequently in the form of ads, which breaks the flow of learning.
- Too little feedback not specific enough to guide learning.
- Too many rewards not relevant to the learning goals.
What about apps that are not for traditional learning? A recent comprehensive study of mindfulness-based apps for children found that similarly, these apps received low scores on their quality across a) engagement, b) functionality, c) aesthetics, and d) information.3 Further, of the 36 apps evaluated, only 2 had evidence of their effectiveness; and this was in adult populations!
Reasons identified for the poor ratings were:
- Complex and confusing layout resulting in abandoning use.
- Little use of video, relying only on audio.
- In-app purchases, which again breaks flow.
- Too passive and not engaging the child.
It is a heavy burden to expect parents, and certainly children, to evaluate the quality of an app. That responsibility lies with the developer. Certainly, some developers are getting it right. However, many developers do not have an understanding of child development, learning principles, or educational psychology, nor have anyone on their team who does. This could be because they make an erroneous assumption that because an app is for a child, it’s ‘easy’ to create, or they simply are not able to find someone with whom to consult on their product development journey to ensure their app is appropriate for kids.
If you are thinking about, or are currently in the midst of, creating an app for kids, you certainly have a waiting market. If you are committed to ensuring your app is the best it can be for your intended market, I encourage you to make the important commitment to your product with an evidence-based foundation of child development, educational psychology, and developmentally appropriate practices for kids.
Sources
12023 Apps for Kids Market CAGR: Business Strategies for Industry Expansion and Market Dominance till 2029.
2Meyer, M., Zosh, J. M., McLaren, C., Robb, M., McCaffery, H., Golinkoff, R. M., … & Radesky, J. (2021). How educational are “educational” apps for young children? App store content analysis using the Four Pillars of Learning framework. Journal of Children and Media, 15(4), 526-548.
3Nunes, A., Castro, S. L., & Limpo, T. (2020). A review of mindfulness-based apps for children. Mindfulness, 11, 2089-2101.
