YouTube’s algorithmic approach to finding appropriate videos for kids led to kids stumbling upon the ‘dark side’ of YouTube. Needless to say, it didn’t end well, and a lot of parents were left fuming. The Youtube division turned to human curation in April and the results have been much better since. YouTube Kids is now launching the ability for parents to pre-approve every video and channel available their child, something that should have been included from the start.
The new parental control allows users to “handpick every video and channel available to their child in the app.” When the “Approved content only” option is checked, children will “only be able to watch content that you have approved.” Parents can allow videos, channels, and collections, with the ability to search YouTube Kids to find content. Meanwhile, children will not be able to 8-12-year-olds when this mode is selected. You can pick videos or channels, and you can also select collections from our partners or the YouTube Kids team. This whitelist is available globally today on Android and coming soon to iOS.
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YouTube Kids is adding a “new experience” for children 8-12 years old. The “Older” category includes music and gaming videos to complement the existing “Younger” group geared towards preschool and elementary school children with sing-alongs and other age-appropriate learning videos.
hat’s more, YouTube Kids is growing up with our users. We have launched a new experience geared toward 8-12 year olds that includes additional new content, like popular music and gaming videos. If parents think their kids are ready, they can pick this “Older” version when setting up a new profile or updating an existing profile. The “Younger” version is the default content experience and will continue to have a wide selection of sing-alongs and age-appropriate learning videos. Parents can change between “Younger,” “Older” and parent-approved content at any time. We’ve started to roll out the new older experience in the U.S. with plans to expand globally.
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This experience in YouTube Kids is rolling out now in the U.S. and will expand globally over time. In today’s blog post, YouTube again acknowledges the extent of their systems and asks parents to flag any inappropriate content for manual review. As parents are increasingly putting smart devices in the hands of children, it is essential to have such mechanisms in place. The last thing one wants is for their kids to stumble upon the side of YouTube that is capable of leaving even internet veterans scarred.
Source: youtube
