Luxembourg's teenagers and media consumption in 2025

The most popular platforms: YouTube, TikTok and more

YouTube is the clear favourite among Luxembourg's teenagers. According to recent surveys, around nine out of ten young people regularly watch YouTube videos - almost twice as many as the next most popular platform, TikTok. In 2022-23, YouTube even came out on top as the most popular app among 12-16 year olds, squeezing out other apps. TikTok is rapidly gaining an audience: according to various estimates, at least half of Luxembourg teenagers actively use TikTok (around 55-60% of this age group). It is particularly favoured by girls - TikTok and Instagram are more attractive to them, while boys more often prefer YouTube.

In addition to YouTube and TikTok, visual messengers and social networks for communication are widespread. Snapchat and Instagram are popular with teenagers, although interest in Instagram among young people itself has declined slightly: it recently dropped from first to fifth place in popularity among 12-16 year olds. WhatsApp holds its position as the main messenger - the vast majority use it for texting and photo/video sharing. For example, among high school students in Luxembourg, the most frequent ways to share photos or videos with friends are Snapchat (used by about 77% of students), WhatsApp (65%) and Instagram (55%).

Podcasts should be mentioned separately. Although audio podcasts have not reached the same mass appeal among teenagers as video services, interest in them is gradually growing. Older teens (16-18) are starting to listen to podcasts on music, sports, stories - often via Spotify or directly on YouTube, where many popular podcasts are posted in video format. Global trends show Gen Z's growing engagement with this format: for example, Spotify data shows that it was teenagers aged 13-17 who saw the biggest jump in podcast listening in 2023. Many young listeners love the video podcast format (interviews, conversations), and YouTube is becoming their entry point into the world of podcasts. However, compared to short TikTok videos or YouTube streams, podcasts remain a niche activity for a minority of teens.

What they watch and listen to: content preferences

Videos are the main type of content for young Luxembourgers. They watch everything on YouTube, from music videos and funny vines to tutorials and video game reviews. Entertainment content is particularly popular - vlogs about everyday life, Challenges, sketches, gaming videos. According to research, girls tend to watch more online videos about music, fashion, lifestyle, and short sketches; boys are often interested in gaming, technology, or sports reviews. This difference is also evident in social networks: girls are more active on Instagram, scrolling through TikTok feeds and sharing aesthetic photos, while boys can spend hours on YouTube broadcasts, watching game streams or tech reviews.

Social interaction is an important part of content consumption. Teenagers are not just passively watching videos, but actively socialising around them. They put likes, write comments under their favourite bloggers' videos, participate in polls and flash mobs. Most regularly share photos and videos with their friends: as noted above, students are eager to send photos via Snapchat and WhatsApp or post stories on Instagram. In TikTok, many teenagers themselves participate in challenges - they repeat popular dances, jokes, and make up their own short videos.

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Influencers and bloggers play a significant role in the lives of young people. Many teenagers have their favourite YouTube channels or TikTok bloggers, whose lives they follow on a daily basis. Often these Internet celebrities become idols and sources of inspiration. For example, 12-18 year olds in Luxembourg watch not only local content makers (often in several languages - English, French, German), but also global YouTube/TikTok stars. They discuss new videos with friends, copy trends and phrases, and sometimes even dream of becoming bloggers themselves. According to experts, modern teenagers are closer to online idols: many trust the opinion of their favourite youtuber almost like a friend's advice. If a blogger launches a new challenge or recommends a podcast, a significant proportion of teenage subscribers are eager to catch the wave.

Podcasts themselves, though less popular, often reach teen audiences through these same bloggers. Some well-known YouTubers host their own podcasts - discussing games, music, teen issues - and young fans listen to their episodes, sometimes without even realising that it is a "podcast". Thus, teenagers' interaction with podcasts is often mediated through videos and their favourite content makers. Interestingly, the new generation favours hybrid formats: they like it when a podcast can be both listened to and watched - for example, a conversation between two presenters is recorded on video and posted on YouTube. This combines a familiar video sequence with the format of a long conversation, keeping the attention of a young audience.

Screen time problem

The issue of screen time is one of the most worrying when it comes to teenagers. In Luxembourg, as in many countries, teenagers spend a significant part of the day watching screens. However, recent data is encouraging: compared to previous years, today's teenagers have become somewhat more moderate in their use of gadgets. While previously more than half of teenagers admitted to spending more than 6 hours a day on their smartphones, now there are about 20% of such avid users. A significant proportion of teenagers tend to limit themselves: about a third of teenagers estimate their screen time at a reasonable 1-3 hours a day. The same number (about 35-40%) still spend 4-6 hours online every day - in fact, this is the second school day after school.

It should be borne in mind that these figures refer primarily to the smartphone. In addition, teenagers have time at the laptop (for studying or playing games) and TV. Thus, the total number of screen hours is quite a lot. On weekdays, kids try to fit in a few hours after school, but weekends are often devoted to long online sessions: games, TV series, watching YouTube at night. Studies show that teenagers spend the most time on social networks - about half of them spend 2-3 hours a day in social networks or messengers. Streaming services (YouTube videos, Netflix, etc.) and online games also take up a lot of time, especially for boys.

Interestingly, teenagers themselves are beginning to recognise the problem: almost half of 12-16 year olds admit to sitting on their phones "too often". Many of them speak directly about the feeling of addiction, when it is difficult to tear themselves away from the screen. Teachers and parents are worried too - 90% of primary school teachers believe children are overly addicted to smartphones. On average, teenagers spend around 3-4 hours a day on online content (including social media, videos, games), although individually some go over 6 hours. That's a not insignificant proportion of their waking hours - roughly a third of their day. It is therefore not surprising that the topic of digital balance has become very topical in Luxembourg.

Pathways to healthy digital habits

Recognising the risks of excessive screen time, Luxembourg is taking concrete steps to promote healthy digital habits among young people. The government, schools and civil society organisations are working together to ensure that teenagers get the most out of technology without harming their development.

One of the key initiatives was the Screen-Life Balance project launched by the Ministry of Education in 2024. As part of it, new rules are being introduced in schools from the 2025 academic year: for example, from Easter 2025, all primary schools will completely ban smartphones on their premises. Students will not be able to use their phones in class, during breaks and after-school care - gadgets will have to be left switched off in their rucksacks. Strict measures are also being introduced in secondary schools: phones will have to lie aside during lessons, and each school is developing its own code of device use (up to a complete ban in certain areas or for younger classes). These steps are aimed at giving kids back live socialising, sports and hobbies instead of endless tape scrolling. After all, researchers have long warned that excessive gadgets reduce concentration, impair sleep, increase anxiety and hinder socialisation.

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In addition to restrictions, education and preventive measures are emphasised. In autumn 2024, the authorities launched a large-scale campaign to inform parents about the sensible use of screens. Through a network of parent-teacher meetings (Eltereforum), advice is being distributed nationwide on how to establish a healthy balance at home - for example, regulating time on devices according to the age of the child. Schools send letters to parents with advice on how to negotiate with children to limit internet time and encourage offline activities.

The national programme BEE SECURE, a government initiative promoting safe and responsible use of digital technologies among young people, plays an important role. BEE SECURE, with the support of several ministries, conducts digital literacy lessons, organises trainings for schoolchildren and parents, and produces educational materials. Every year it publishes the BEE SECURE Radar report with an analysis of trends in children's online behaviour. Through such projects, teenagers are taught to think critically about content, recognise Internet threats and be conscious of their screen time.

It is worth noting that Luxembourg was one of the first countries in Europe to approach the problem of digital wellbeing of young people in such a clear and structured way. In the future, government authorities are planning new initiatives on "digital hygiene" - for example, integrating lessons on media literacy into the school curriculum, supporting clubs and clubs as an alternative to screen time, and continuing campaigns on the dangers of Internet addiction. The idea is not to take smartphones away from teenagers, but to teach them how to use technology wisely. A balance between online and offline is the main slogan uniting these efforts.