New research has revealed that kids in the Asia-Pacific region are spending more time online than on TV on a daily basis.

According to TotallyAwesome’s latest proprietary APAC Kids Market Insights Report 2016-17, an integrated cross-platform approach is the best one to reach and engage the region’s kids.

The report found that 77 per cent of kids would choose the internet over TV – up 11 per cent from 2015 – and are more likely to have access to smartphones rather than TV in five out of the seven examined countries.

The average time kids spend on the internet on a normal school day is two hours and 54 minutes – 24 minutes more than that spent on watching TV.

The survey also found that daily online time increases dramatically with age, with 12 to 14-year-olds online almost 3.5 hours on weekdays and nearly 4.5 hours over weekends – a significant rise as compared to six to eight-year-olds, who are online for 2.5 to three hours a day.

Furthermore, 58 per cent of APAC kids with access to smartphones use them multiple times a day – the same for TV. On tablets, 44 per cent of kids with access use them several times a day.

The survey found that online advertising gains importance as a gateway for APAC kids at higher age groups to discover new content, with 24 per cent of 12 to 14-year-olds discovering new toys through online advertising, compared to 17 per cent of six to eight-year-olds.

Kids in the region are also very effective at getting their parents to buy them things, with over half of parents claiming to have bought an item their child wanted after they saw it online.

TotallyAwesome CEO Quan Nguyen said brands should consider APAC kids as key influencers in family spending and recognise the need to reach and engage them through a consistent, always-on digital presence.

“This is even more pertinent for the higher age groups. In particular, mobile is gaining unprecedented importance as a gateway to APAC kids,” he said.

“Our data makes the case that campaign strategies for this market are most compelling when they adopt a cohesive multi-screen approach with TV and digital working in harmony, and to maximise potential for engagement across touchpoints.”