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Do not let your kids use YouTube Kids App unsupervised

9 replies

fizzthecat1 · 16/07/2018 23:51

This TedTalk goes into more detail, but basically there are a lot of sick things appearing on the Kids YouTube App. YouTube have absolutely NO WAY of controlling this.

There is 567,000 hours of video uploaded a day. There is not somebody sitting there manually watching and approving these videos, do you think they could even begin to afford the staff for this?

It works on an algorithm. The algorithm pics up swear words, controversial words in the video. It misses kids videos because most of these don't include speech. So they have to go on what the uploader has put in the title and tags, and the uploader will say it's suitable for kids.

The only way these video's get taken down is if they are mass flagged compared to viewership, and small children are not going to flag these videos, so they remain on the kids app.

Just to give some examples these violent ones both come up on the Kids App. I flagged them to YouTube and they haven't been age restricted / removed.

So they still appear on the Kids App. These ones are pretty tame compared to the more sexually themed ones but both appear on kids app when they're clearly not suitable. They appear on auto play and hence why they have millions of views.

I'm just warning people because they seem to think YouTube Kids is actually monitored properly when anyone can upload anything to it.

OP posts:
Kiwiinkits · 17/07/2018 05:30

thank you for this information
I was shocked the other day when I peered over my 7 year old's shoulder and there was advertising for junk food on YouTube kids. Then I watched more videos, one was Dora the Explorer but it was dubbed in this creepy man's voice!! I was horrified, they could be saying anything!
No more YouTube kids for us.

Iwasjustabouttosaythat · 17/07/2018 05:39

Does anyone use the premium YouTube with no ads? DS loves a couple of people who make videos (that are totally fine for kids) so I guess subscribing to a user you trust and paying to not have ads is the only way to let them see anything while you’re busy making dinner?

It is really dicey. I used to let him see a few things on there that I thought were fine but back then I wasn’t aware things like Thomas might suddenly become something else in the middle. I hope he never saw anything bad. I feel awful about it (and quickly cut that sort of thing out entirely).

DisturblinglyOrangeScrambleEgg · 17/07/2018 07:42

Yes - there's some really creepy stuff - ours only watch in the room with us so we can hear - we get used to the voices of their favorite youtubers or cartoons so more than once our ears have pricked up that something was wrong and we've had them change video.

I've also had inappropriate advertising - really violent adult computer games which upset ds1.

We do pay for premium - although mainly for music/downloading - which is an option, although I do like that by having proper access they are more active watchers - so one session could be cartoons, educational, nursery rhymes and computer games - whereas if I downloaded then I would be unable to guess the variety to provide

Slanetylor · 17/07/2018 07:47

Nope, no YouTube in this house. They can watch Netflix without 100% supervision but normally watch it on tv so I can easily check in.

thornyhousewife · 17/07/2018 07:52

Thanks for this. Glad there's been a TED talk too.

No YouTube here.

CaptainKirkssparetupee · 17/07/2018 07:56

Exactly, anyone is able to upload anything to YouTube.

WeightedCompanionCube · 17/07/2018 07:57

Only place mine get to watch youtube is on my PC or the TV where I help them search for what they want - I don't trust what's on youtube in general enough to let them loose even on a "kids" version unsupervised.

Netflix and Amazon Video they're allowed on their tablets (with the Fire for Kids on so the Amazon stuff it throws up is age-limited anyway and Netflix on a kids profile only) - but nope, not youtube.

If it delays that point where they discover those videos of someone opening like 57 Kinder Eggs in a row as well - bonus!

EyeDrops · 17/07/2018 08:31

My way around it is to let DD use YouTube with Guided Access on an iPhone/iPad as it prevents her exiting or changing the video. If autoplay is also switched off, it means I have complete control so can leave her to it as long as that video lasts.

ReluctantlyRedundant101 · 17/07/2018 08:52

Very interesting thanks for posting OP
It's certainly made me vary of letting my child watch YouTube

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