‘Lifestyle’ YouTubers

[EugenesAxe]

I think my DD (7) has got the message about how much I hate these people after I sat with her watching about two minutes of Unspeakable (of Gaming fame) play a ‘pause’ game with a friend.

It resulted in the friend graffitiing a (paid for by us) sports car of Unspeakable’s while he sat there unable to do anything, and I shouted at the screen at how wasteful they were and that people like them would be the reason human life could be severely culled in a few generations.

I’d like to permanently ban these hideous people from our screens and for the children to watch TV that’s been properly commissioned. In other words, that is entertaining while giving the right messages about morals and lifestyle, or is educational.

AIBU to ask how you manage if your DCs have discovered these channels? Some YouTube I don’t mind - gaming channels when they are about games don’t seem so bad, but these people who consume, waste, acquire in the name of entertainment make me feel sick. I saw one ‘suggestion’ that was ‘We will buy anything that [4/5 yo with a magnetic picture board] can draw!’ Bleeergh to infinity.

The worst thing is that I know I’m at fault to have let this interest come about with my DD. I don’t want to be too draconian in remedying it but need to find some compromise or control. At the moment it’s just limiting exposure but it feels unstructured. It would be nice to hear if others have managed it with a definite strategy.

I'm not sure why you think there is a link between TV being properly commissioned and it being educational and worthy. The output of ITV would seem to disprove that entire notion along with the wealth of educational channels on YouTube.

Maybe it's a case that you need to be actively curating your children's viewing rather than hoping that a platform not explicitly designed for children provides the exact content that you approve of.

Depending on how I am feeling, a long talk about wasting our planet's resources appeals to our 8yo's sense of outrage, or a quick threat of taking the device away for the rest of the day if I catch them watching that nonsense again also works (for now, because she still does as she is asked, although that won't last for ever). And I do explain why I think it is nonsense, they are not kind, thoughtful people, they set a bad example for children etc.

You need to either ban YouTube or actually sit with your child to watch what they’re watching.

I’m guilty of letting the dcs watch some mindless shit on YouTube sometimes so we try and restrict it. Every now and then I stop YouTube altogether.

One alternative is to find decent videos you like and encourage the dcs to watch them.

I am so confused by your post. I gather it's about not wanting your 7 year old to watch people on youtube who you disapprove of. This is simple, remove devices, or limit their use.

However, where the graffitiing a car which you paid for comes into it I don't understand.

I hate that one as well. And the two guys who compete to make and consume inedible concoctions (possibly the same). I'm quite draconian with limiting their YT time. There's something quite amusing about Moriah Elizabeth though, and I can even tolerate Minecraft Jen in comparison to the ones you mentioned. I really dislike DS watching Ryan's toy review though.

I just mean he has the car because people watching his YouTube channel have got him loads of revenue from advertisers, I guess. Not that I personally bought it.

And yes I knew someone would be on saying ‘real’ TV isn’t perfect, but most of what I see on CBBC sends a good ethical message. I realise not everything can; TBH the children don’t watch ITV much, if at all. It’s generally YouTube or CBBC.

How was the car paid for by you? Did you actually give them money or did you just skip the adverts on their video?

Do you let your DD have unrestricted access to YouTube? There are way, WAY worse things on their than someone defacing a car.

There is no need for a 7 year old or any child to have free access to YouTube. It’s not esssential. Be a parent and stop them watching. You as an adult know how toxic it is why would you subject your child to that when they don’t yet have the ability to look at these things critically, to decode the more subtle influences.

Just say no!

DD has free range of the iPlayer kids app and that gives her a sense of control. No YouTube. We did have YouTube kids but after seeing how easy it was for her to skip off the official channel she was watching and get onto all those unboxing advertorials, hearing some disturbing things acted out with dolls/models, and finally finding out from someone who did work for YouTube on how the kids stuff wasn’t really moderated at all, we told her she could only watch with us in the room. When we caught her breaking the rule the app was deleted. Now we only go on it together to look at educational videos of her current interests.

She isn’t deprived, probably has too much screen time still, she’ll survive!

Agreed that 7 year olds don't get free run on YouTube. It's absolutely not intended for them.

You are the parent; if you don't like something, ban it, limit it, reduce time on devices, sit with her while she watches things you do approve of, or chuck her in the garden with a football and make her play instead of watching it.

But your DD is 7? You are (or should be) 100% in control of what she watches at that age. There is no way I would let my 7 year old navigate YouTube freely. It’s not designed for children and it’s very easy indeed to stumble upon massively inappropriate content.

I think your DD probably thought you were a bit nuts shouting at the screen.

I think the only solution for your needs is to ban you tube or watch it with her. I don’t like
My D.C. watching trash but don’t feel quite as strongly as you seem to

DS watches these. He's gone off Unspeakable and likes DanTDM playing Minecraft and FGeeTV (a bit annoying but the younger kid Shawn is quite cute!! Of course if I don't like him watching something I say so and he changes it. He doesn't have free rein and prefershe playing games to watching YouTube.

I can't say I'm miserable he's gone off Unspeakable....it'll be something else next year lol!!

But Why? Why in the age of Kids iPlayer, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Freeview etc are people so set on their primary school age kids watching YouTube? There’s no need!

And I say this as a parent who is guilty of letting her kids have waaay too much screen time.

There’s so much out there now about how YouTube algorithms are pushing young people to far right extremism, the toxic effects on children’s mental health of these ‘influencers’ (and instagram) so why do it?

Question yourself. What would be so terrible if you explained the above to them and implemented restrictions on their access to YouTube.

They don’t have to watch things you dislike either. DDs know there are certain cartoons I don’t think are appropriate, and because they understand there are consequences for undermining my trust they turn over when they come on. I’ve also had conversations with them over advertising before leaving them to watch commercial tv.

No it is Restricted. My DCs do demonstrate good standards of right and wrong and are quite ‘young’ - they would turn off anything that got through the barriers that was unsuitable as it would scare them, but I can’t trust that and will change things to protect them more. My DS (9) said people at school laugh at him because he doesn’t know what sex is... I felt bad and told him what it was, but it’s an example.

I know I need to be the parent - and I do put my foot down often. I guess I wanted to hear from people who’ve been in this position and weaned their DCs off, or dealt with it some other way.

DS loves DanTDM because he helps him with ideas for Freestyle Minecraft. DD2 watches CBEEBIES or very rarely nursery rhymes on YouTube. I'm sitting in the room supervising both whatever they're watching and do often tell DS to change what he's watching or that's enough screen time and then we all do something different as a family (drawing, watch a film together etc).

My DS (9) said people at school laugh at him because he doesn’t know what sex is... I felt bad and told him what it was, but it’s an example
That is a separate issue imo - 9 is a bit late to learn where babies come from surely. You can do it in an age appropriate way.

We’ve switched to YouTube kids and there still so much shit on it.

The thing that annoys me is that I cannot delete the bloody thing or block the website on an iPad/tablet

It's not paid for by us though is it... it's paid for by commercials and subscribing. You haven't lost any money so it's not a concern.

Reagarding the rest, you are spot on. They're ridiculously annoying. I actually quite like unspeakable and by that I mean can tolerate. Azzyland is lovely and I encourage my daughter to watch her rather than all the other annoying little shits. Morgz is an absolute joke as is ruby. I'd say they'll be really embarrassed when they're older but they'll be so stinking rich that they won't care.

It's terrifying that DS said "When I'm older I want to be a YouTuber"... what a potential waste of a good brain.

I'm not sure how the stuff on Youtube is any different to the random stuff that's always been on conventional TV.

Surely programes like Jackass, Top gear and Eurotrash were people using TV production budgets to destroy themselves and other stuff at the licence payers expense

It's not paid for by us though is it

It is if the products you buy advertise on it.

The problem with YouTube is that it is unregulated.

@Hollanda40 I was thinking ‘Did I write that?’... as my DS has said the same thing. But now he wants to be either a spy or a coder/ animator. But by spy he really means something like an Escape Room designer. He likes puzzles.

I feel I need to elaborate more on the ‘paid for by us’ comment. It was a slightly throw away one attempting to convey my indignation at the material wealth surrounding these people - that they are rewarded so much for this content. I have never sent money to any YouTuber.

whothedaddy yes but they are aimed at adults. We are less influenced by crappy content than children. Same logic for regulating violence etc in films/TV.

I get your point, but you are the parent and they only watch what you allow, computers should have software on them to ensure kids cannot access material that's unsuitable. There's properly commissioned tv on the Bbc and various things on Netflix.

computers should have software on them to ensure kids cannot access material that's unsuitable

No such software exists yet - stuff can always get through. And why should the onus be on the parent? If I use YouTube I don’t want to click on crap inadvertently.

That’s why the providers or hosts of such material should take some more responsibility and spend money taking that responsibility.

An analogy - when I walk into a newsagent, the porn mags would out of sight. I wouldn’t be happy if they were in my eyeline because my kids might see them. And I don’t want to see them either because porn is offensive. And I don’t want to accidentally see it.

It’s the fact that it’s so easy to find awful nonsense. Without even trying.