My child watching awful things on youtube

[Simba84]

I thought I had a child block on the computer from watching inappropriate things. Have been blissfully ignorant. My 6 year old types in things to youtube like horrid henry, postman pat, paw patrol - just been viewing the things he has watched and am mortified. Yes it's Horrid Henry clips with overdubbing on them - talking about dicks, hard ons, fucking and all sorts. Paw patrol with the pups being horny or being murdered. He hasn't sworn to me yet but bloody hell. I don't want to completely block youtube. Am I a twat in not doing something already to safeguard him from this crap and if so, please tell me what to do so he is watching age appropriate stuff? He is on a total ban for now. He thinks I am mean. Don't really understand who would turn a children's cartoon into this.

[Believeitornot]

When I go into a bookshop, I don't walk in to the adult section unwittingly with my children. Nor would I expect to. Why? Because it is clearly labelled so I can see it before I check.

With YouTube, I can't always tell until I click on something. Something might be disguised as a child's cartoon yet it is dubbed with swearing.

In a book shop, I don't open a peppa pig book to find adult content.

[HarveySchlumpfenburger]

Youtube do ban people for that sandbags. But the age-restriction on there isn't about stuff that's suitable for a small child to watch. It's about what' suitable for over 18s and under 18s. There's lots of things that would be OK for a 16 year old that you wouldn't want your under 10 watching.

I wonder if it would be better without the age restriction. At least people wouldn't be lulled into a false sense of security about parental controls.

[HarveySchlumpfenburger]

But youtube is the adult section, not the kids section.

It's the adults section but someone's put some kid's stuff in there too. You wouldn't let your child in and just assume they'd find the Peppa Pig books and won't browse though any of the other stuff would you?

[Believeitornot]

Actually it has childrens material on it. Videos clearly aimed at children.

However you have to sift through the adult stuff to get to the children's stuff. Or you might stumble across adults stuff while looking for children's stuff.

YouTube are covering their arses by labelling it as for over 13s. However it has content aimed at children. They have a responsibility to recognise that and appropriately segregate which is what bookshops do.

[PlasticBertrand]

I agree that youtube can't police all its content but I'd have thought a "block this content on this dvice" button shouldn't be beyond the wit of man. I police what ds watches of course but just blocking content would save an awful lot of aggro.

[Andrewofgg]

But believeitornot you don't send your DC into the bookshop alone, do you?

[MissMargie]

Kids use the library unsupervised - books are clearly grouped

[Andrewofgg]

So what does anyone expect? That YT should grade everything 18+, 16+, 14+. 12+, 10+, or General?

It's not a cinema!

[TheFurryMenace]

I don't know if anyone has suggested it but you could consider a kindle for kids. They come with age appropriate to shows, games and books and your child gets the feeling that they are browsing and choosing from the Internet itself. My DD7 really likes it and I don't have to worry that she's watching anything dodgy.

[CrepeDeChineWag]

There's no porn in the library!

[HarveySchlumpfenburger]

I know it has children's stuff on it, that's why I talked about children's books being scattered through the adult section. It's a user generated content site. That doesn't mean that it's aimed at children.

Kids use the library unsupervised - books are clearly grouped
And youtube have tried to group content aimed at children and created a youtube kids site and app. It's not their fault if parents don't use it and allow their child access to the main site that isn't aimed at them.

[Andrewofgg]

There's no porn in the library!

Local authorities are always on the lookout for ways to get more people into the libraries - don't put ideas into their heads!

[MissMargie]

There must be some books containing violence in the library and bad language or is that policed too???

[Believeitornot]

this isn't about porn mixing in with adult content.

Youtube is not an adult only site. Let's be clear here. It has plenty of child content on it. I don't know many fully grown adults who enjoy paw patrol and peppa pig . It states it's for over 13s to covers it own arse.

The child YouTube app is because it knows it needs to take some steps. However I think it needs to go a bit further.

I can see that many people just can't accept that a) not all parents will supervise their children. Is it right that these children are then exposed to inappropriate material which could actually have long term consequences? B) that both parties I.e parents and YouTube should take responsibility for managing what children see?

I think arguing that it should only be parents or only YouTube are the two extreme ends of the argument.

[thewavesofthesea]

We have put a blanket ban on You Tube now for our boys. They have responded surprising well, and don't go on at all (and they were real addicts). I would ban it and use things like Netflix or BBC iPlayer instead

[HarveySchlumpfenburger]

Of course it has children's content. It's a site that consists of user generated content, people can put whatever they want on there. That doesn't mean the site is aimed at children.

Exactly what steps would you like them to take?

Whatever steps you take it doesn't change the fact that young children shouldn't be accessing user generated content without the very close supervision of an adult. It isn't safe and can't be made completely safe.

[Andrewofgg]

No, YT should not take responsibility for managing what children see. That could only be done by pulling anything which we (who?) might prefer them (at what age?) not to see, most of which is perfectly harmless for adults.

It's like saying that even after the watershed there should be no television which is not suitable for children because some parents let their children stay up too late and others record it and watch while the children are up.

[HerFaceIsAMapOfTheWorld]

Take him off YT all together there is a reason it is for over 13 only

[MommaL]

Andrewofgg Wed 21-Sep-16 18:18:47
MommaL You say Not everyone can, We can't/don't watch BBC or Live TV, we don't have a TV licence. YouTube and Netflix are fine as long as you keep half an ear open to what they are watching. My 7 year old watches YouTube on her kindle and we watch it on the big TV too.

If you are in the UK and you have a TV you need a licence and "we don't watch BBC" is not an excuse. One fine day they will catch up with you.

Considering I have had the TV licencing people out already asking me about it, and looking at my TV, seeing that is not connected to any type of receiver, and the fact that if you look on the TV licence website its self, it states that you only need a licence if you watch Live, as it is broadcast TV, which we do not, and have not since last November, or from the BBC iPlayer, which we do not. So Ok, I'll wait for them to catch up with me...and the absolute nothing that they can do. I am not breaking the law.

www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one
" * watch or record live TV programmes on any channel (including BBC)

• download or watch any BBC programmes on iPlayer – live, catch up or on demand."

[JeSuisUnChocoholic]

Do you have Sky or Virgin? If you do record some kids shows and play them to him if he's not supervised.

[JeSuisUnChocoholic]

He shouldn't be on YouTube anyway, it's 13+. But then Google Search is also 13+.

[kali110]

believe some adults do watch programmes that are/were aimed at kids too!
I've lost time watching old cartoons, programmes on youtube.
If parents can't/won't supervise then that's up to them, not youtube.

[Believeitornot]

Sorry but I can't find anything which says that YouTube is for ages 13 up.

Age 13 up is for setting up YouTube account. You don't need to have an account to view YouTube therefore is it really for 13+?

Anyway I stand by my argument. YouTube is not aimed at those over 13 it's aimed for all.

[mygorgeousmilo]

I don't understand why anyone feels the need to give their child a tablet, I really don't. If you're busy, put a bit of CBeebies on. Job done.