YouTube is, as far as I’m concerned, a garbage platform, particularly for children. While there is content of real worth on the platform, there seems to be orders of magnitudes more asinine rubbish, polluting children’s brains with hogwash, vapid nonsense and outright lies. YouTube’s danger for the youth is more pronounced than that though, as it’s also used by paedophiles to get their kicks and groom children for abuse.
In an investigation by Harvard’s Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society, run by the New York Times, it was found that YouTube’s algorithms happily recommend the otherwise innocent family home videos featuring naked or near naked children to those who’ve watched videos of that sort before; another example of YouTube’s “rabbit hole effect,” that sends people into a vortex of increasingly extreme content. Says the New York Times:
“So a user who watches erotic videos might be recommended videos of women who become conspicuously younger, and then women who pose provocatively in children’s clothes. Eventually, some users might be presented with videos of girls as young as 5 or 6 wearing bathing suits, or getting dressed or doing a split.
On its own, each video might be perfectly innocent, a home movie, say, made by a child. Any revealing frames are fleeting and appear accidental. But, grouped together, their shared features become unmistakable.”
YouTube hasn’t really done too much about all of this, though they have automatically disabled comments on any videos that feature children, and will be tweaking recommendations in the future. They have now also made it so that minors are unable to live stream without parental guidance.
Children will no longer be able to stream on the platform “unless they are clearly accompanied by an adult.”
They’ll also be limiting recommendations.
“We expanded our efforts from earlier this year around limiting recommendations of borderline content to include videos featuring minors in risky situations,” YouTube says in a blog post. “While the content itself does not violate our policies, we recognize the minors could be at risk of online or offline exploitation.”
“With this update, we’ll be able to better identify videos that may put minors at risk and apply our protections” across more videos.
It’s appositive step, but I really think the only solution for this particular problem is for YouTube to just straight-up stop recommending videos that feature children in them.
Last Updated: June 4, 2019
Dutch Matrix
June 4, 2019 at 11:29
Have an adult clearly present when a child is live streaming is a great idea. But how is that going to be enforced?
G8crasha
June 4, 2019 at 12:14
Society places too much faith in adults! Sometimes, their presence does zip – either because they themselves are ‘guilty’ of some things, their limited knowledge/experience of the platform, or they just simply do not give an F!!!!
HvR
June 4, 2019 at 12:22
You under estimate the power of their AI image analysis. Those things are f….king insane.
Guz
June 4, 2019 at 13:32
Giant cardboard cutout of an adult?
Yahtzee
June 4, 2019 at 11:38
I’d say minimum age 16 to be allowed to live stream anything on any platform.
G8crasha
June 4, 2019 at 12:14
I have some nieces who wanted to start uploading to Youtube because they became so infatuated with some of the channels, and they wanted to mimic them, but I soon pushed that thought out of their heads. It’s a pity about society because I generally enjoy watching a lot of content on the platform – Smosh, Try Guys, Good Mythical Morning, React, FBE, Donut Media, Critical Hit, etc. I can spend a few hours a day easily watching this content.
Admiral Chief
June 4, 2019 at 12:21
– GMM has lost the touch since they got quite famous
– Smosh and React are kak.
– The absolute WURST on your list is that Critical Hit bozo channel. What a bunch of silly sausages.
G8crasha
June 4, 2019 at 12:21
To each his own! :o)
Dresden
June 4, 2019 at 12:22
I’ll sometimes go back to GMM for their new “Will It” and “Where In The World” episodes, but otherwise I agree with you.
Admiral Chief
June 4, 2019 at 12:22
Where in the world, Will it, yeah, those are my favourites
Yahtzee
June 4, 2019 at 12:29
I only discovered GMM like a month ago, so I have loads to catch up on.
Admiral Chief
June 4, 2019 at 12:29
Start with the old seasons, they are golden. Oh, and there was a time where they did 3-4 very short episodes….we don’t talk about that time
Yahtzee
June 4, 2019 at 12:29
I’ve seen most of the new vids already, they are pretty good. Had a good laugh at yesterdays “Will it BBQ”
Admiral Chief
June 4, 2019 at 12:38
You are in for a treat then. And when you are caught up, check out the YORESOLOUD channel for some remixes of the funny bits
Admiral Chief
June 4, 2019 at 14:44
Oh, and watch the Cotton Candy Randy montage….kak snaaks
Dresden
June 4, 2019 at 12:38
You’re in for a treat. I would advise looking at their homepage. They bundle together similar videos like “Will It” and the likes. I suggest starting with those.
Have fun. 🙂
HvR
June 4, 2019 at 12:22
Still better than about 80% of new series these days
Guz
June 4, 2019 at 13:32
Don’t let them even think about. They will get hooked on the validation that comes with streaming ect. look what that crazy chick did streaking just to get more followers on IG
HvR
June 4, 2019 at 13:24
We go around and around these subject every few weeks, why is that we insist that companies take over the role of parenting.
If this was the 90’s maybe I can understand but these parents are in their 30’s they know full well that the real world creeps that used to hang around playpark in trench-coats or teach music in primary school now mostly get their fix on the internet.
FFS I keep my Facebook page private mostly because I will occasionally post family photos or school event photos on it that includes my kid. Why in the fooking world would upload private videos of your kid unto any opne video platform or allow your kid free reign on streaming services.
Guz
June 4, 2019 at 13:39
Facebook,….. F*&k that, I personally haven’t used mine in years, Only keep it for the occasional birthday reminder
Guz
June 4, 2019 at 13:39
Facebook,….. F*&k that, I personally haven’t used mine in years, Only keep it for the occasional birthday reminder
Llama In The Rift
June 4, 2019 at 12:04
Ahh…i remember the good ol days when watching an Spider-Man episode before homework got me the hiding of a life time….think i might be dead by now if Youtube existed way back then.