The figure increased by 19% by the end of 2019 when compared to 2018, with boys more likely to consider it as a future career.
The regulator’s Online Nation report also found that 40% of adults and 59% of older children create and upload videos on video-sharing sites and apps, something which Ofcom said is “driving an explosion in short-form, user-generated content”.
“Sites and apps such as YouTube, Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok, which allow people to create, upload and share videos online, have never been so popular,” they said.
It comes as the study found that half of 8-15 year olds upload videos to TikTok at least weekly, compared to 28% of adults.
The short form video app also reached 12.9 million UK adult users in April, while only 5.4 million were using it in January.
Meanwhile, the streaming platform Twitch also saw an increase in visitors in the same period, rising from 2.3 million to 4.2 million adults.
In a press release summarising the report, Ofcom went on to add: “The proportion of people making video calls has also doubled during lockdown, with more than seven in 10 doing so at least weekly.
“Houseparty, the app which combines group video-calls with games and quizzes, grew from 175,000 adult visitors in January to 4 million in April.
“But the biggest growth was seen by Zoom, the virtual meeting platform, which grew from 659,000 users to reach 13 million users over the same period – a rise of almost 2,000%,” they said.
The viewing statistics form part of a bigger statistic from the regulator, which found that UK adults spent more than a quarter of their waking day online in April.
This equates to a daily average of four hours and two minutes – up from under three and a half hours in September.
The UK is becoming a nation of creators. Two in five adults upload videos online at least weekly, with many receiving payment for their content.
One in five under-13s now say they'd aspire to be a YouTuber – so we asked UK creators to share their stories: https://t.co/T8l1yI8mda pic.twitter.com/I9to0lCRGF
— Ofcom (@Ofcom) June 24, 2020
Elsewhere, more than 80% of 12-15 year-olds and over 60% of adults said they have had “a potential harmful experience” online in the past year, with the majority expressing concerns about going online (89% and 86% respectively).
The data follows a consultation response by the UK Government in February, saying that they are “minded to appoint Ofcom” as online harms regulator.
Commenting on the report’s findings, Yih-Choung Teh, Ofcom’s Director of Strategy and Research said lockdown “may leave a lasting digital legacy”.
“The coronavirus has radically changed the way we live, work and communicate online, with millions of people using online video services for the first time.
“As the way we communicate evolves and people broaden their online horizons, our role is to help ensure that people have a positive experience, and that they’re safe and protected,” she said.
The full Online Nation report is available to view online via Ofcom’s website.
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