American kids want to be famous on YouTube, and kids in China want to go to space: survey

AP Photo/Jessica Hill

• Being a YouTube star is a more sought-after profession than being an astronaut among kids in the US and United Kingdom, a recent survey of 3,000 kids shows.
• Children ages eight to 12 in the US, UK, and China were recently polled in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission, resulting in the first person to ever walk on the moon.
• Kids in the US and UK are three times more likely to want to be YouTubers or vloggers rather than astronauts, while kids in China were more likely to want to be astronauts.
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Neil Armstrong became a role model in the eyes of kids everywhere 50 years ago when he became the first person to walk on the moon on July 20, 1969.

But today, kids are much more likely to aspire to be the next YouTube star rather than the next person in space. A recent survey conducted by Harris Poll on behalf of Leggo shows that children in the US and United Kingdom are three times more likely to want to be YouTubers or vloggers, rather than astronauts, when they grow up.

The survey asked 3,000 kids, aged eight to 12, to choose from five professions to answer what they wanted to be when they grow up: astronaut, musician, professional athlete, teacher or vlogger/YouTuber. Although the top choice among kids in the US and UK was vlogger/YouTuber, 56% of kids in China said they wanted to be an astronaut.

harris poll

Results of the Harris Poll survey.

The survey was conducted in honor of the 50th anniversary of the first manned moon landing. The poll surveyed 3,000 kids, ages eight to 12, from the US, the UK, and China.

The results of this survey reflect a trend seen among Generation Z. As evident at this year's VidCon, a three-day conference about online video, an estimated 75,000 teens and their parents showed up to hear from their favorite YouTubers.

"Every time I go to schools, the most said thing from 90% of kids is, 'I want to be a YouTuber,'" YouTuber DeStorm Power told Business Insider. "They want to be social media stars."