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Algorithm That Makes Preschoolers Obsessed with YouTube

theatlantic.com

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Re: Algorithm That Makes Preschoolers Obsessed with YouTube

#61

Post by sharemywin »

vkjv wrote: post #14
tpeo wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As much as I agree, notice that it sort of defeats the point of it all if the they have to sit there with their child. It ain't easy being a parent, a 9 to 5 worker and a household manager within a 24h schedule. If parents leave their children to do some mindless thing while unnatended, it's often because they don't have enough time to give attention to all the stuff which is immediatelly pressing them.

> Or at the very least, the content that parent watched and approved before. In my experience, kids are willing to watch the same content many, many more times than an adult. This makes this strategy reasonable.

if they had an opt in that would be great but pretty sure its all opt out.

Re: Algorithm That Makes Preschoolers Obsessed with YouTube

#62

Post by DanBC »

thatswrong0 wrote: post #20
corysama wrote: post #16

In the past couple of years there has been a huge uptick in YT content targeting very young children. The feedback loop is so tight that many of the creators have converged on designing some of the most visceral (and disturbing) material that appeals to kids at a reptilian level. Think about how genuinely weird little kids are. Sometimes they do stuff that would be scary if it wasn't just a minute of innocent pretend…

I noticed this myself watching my friends young cousin browse Youtube.. his feed was half clickbait 20-something white guys yelling at you to subscribe Minecraft videos, half perverted (such as Spiderman kissing Elsa from Frozen) or oddly gory children videos like the ones described in the article. If I ever have kids, there's no way in hell I'm letting them run free with an iPad or iPhone. I know it's the "easy way…

watch out though.

"Is captainsparkles child-friendly?" or "child friendly youtubers" into google will return lists saying yes, captainsparkles is child friendly. He's employed by MakerStudios, which is owned by Disney.

Seems pretty solidly okay for children.

Except, when he plays with other people, they'll start swearing.

So, you have to prescreen everything, or have the discussion about language, or just not care about language. (Even if you don't care if your 6 year old says "fuck" I can pretty much guarantee that schools and other parents see it as a problem.)

Re: Algorithm That Makes Preschoolers Obsessed with YouTube

#63

Post by jethro_tell »

martinaparicio wrote: post #42

I was reading this article and viewing the videos while at work. I'm a 25 years old looking at a video of three little girls playing, while in a meeting. I'm sure now I'm the perv of the office now.

I mean, people in offices often feed their kids by turning up in offices. Some of those people even like kids, and sometimes, they even see instagrams, and /r/daddit photos/videos of other peoples kids. And even more then that, sometimes seeing someone who is happy with their kids, or kids that are happy also makes them happy.

kids + adults =/= perv

Re: Algorithm That Makes Preschoolers Obsessed with YouTube

#64

Post by Swizec »

thatswrong0 wrote: post #20
corysama wrote: post #16

In the past couple of years there has been a huge uptick in YT content targeting very young children. The feedback loop is so tight that many of the creators have converged on designing some of the most visceral (and disturbing) material that appeals to kids at a reptilian level. Think about how genuinely weird little kids are. Sometimes they do stuff that would be scary if it wasn't just a minute of innocent pretend…

I noticed this myself watching my friends young cousin browse Youtube.. his feed was half clickbait 20-something white guys yelling at you to subscribe Minecraft videos, half perverted (such as Spiderman kissing Elsa from Frozen) or oddly gory children videos like the ones described in the article. If I ever have kids, there's no way in hell I'm letting them run free with an iPad or iPhone. I know it's the "easy way…

> half perverted (such as Spiderman kissing Elsa from Frozen) or oddly gory children videos like the ones described in the article.

Sounds a lot like the Cartoon Network I was addicted to as a kid. When I watch some of those cartoons and understand the subtextual jokes ... damn that shit was pervy and weird.

As a kid I had no idea. Didn't even notice, I just liked it when the Coyote got flattened, Dexter's experiment blew up, and Jerry hit Tom with a baseball bat.

Re: Algorithm That Makes Preschoolers Obsessed with YouTube

#65

Post by option »

sharemywin wrote: post #60
option wrote: post #2

Kids aged 2 and 3 should watch any content together with their parent. Or at the very least, the content that parent watched and approved before. No 2 or 3 year old should be mindlessly browsing Youtube

I try to watch everything my kids watch.

I am raising my own kids and I am terrified of the amount and quality of videos I see very little kids watch all the time.

Of course, I am not an authority for other parents, but I hope AAP (American association of apediatrics) is.

Re: Algorithm That Makes Preschoolers Obsessed with YouTube

#66

Post by dottedmag »

bdamm wrote: post #25
thatswrong0 wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I noticed this myself watching my friends young cousin browse Youtube.. his feed was half clickbait 20-something white guys yelling at you to subscribe Minecraft videos, half perverted (such as Spiderman kissing Elsa from Frozen) or oddly gory children videos like the ones described in the article. If I ever have kids, there's no way in hell I'm letting them run free with an iPad or iPhone. I know it's the "easy way…

You may make a different choice after years of being unable to do anything but give 100% of your attention to the child. Someone needs to cook & clean, or go to work, after all. In the "old days" you'd just cut your kid loose into the environment. Well, these days, TV and iPads are part of the environment, and YouTube along with it. I'm not saying you wouldn't make boundaries. Boundaries are important. But that may a…

Letting a child "running free" with the iPad locked down to Duolingo and Scratch Jr works fine as well.

Re: Algorithm That Makes Preschoolers Obsessed with YouTube

#67

Post by vkou »

Simon_says wrote: post #51
bdamm wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You may make a different choice after years of being unable to do anything but give 100% of your attention to the child. Someone needs to cook & clean, or go to work, after all. In the "old days" you'd just cut your kid loose into the environment. Well, these days, TV and iPads are part of the environment, and YouTube along with it. I'm not saying you wouldn't make boundaries. Boundaries are important. But that may a…

I hear what you're saying. As a kid in the bad old days, pre-Internet, I used to play outside with my friends for hours at a time. Is that not an option anymore?

It's an option if you want to get harassed by Child Protection Services, the police, etc.

All it takes is one asshole (Or good Samaritan) to give the latter a call, and you'll have a lot of explaining to do. And heaven help you if either group finds a joint in your home.

Re: Algorithm That Makes Preschoolers Obsessed with YouTube

#68

Post by rjeli »

graphitezepp wrote: post #53
thatswrong0 wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I noticed this myself watching my friends young cousin browse Youtube.. his feed was half clickbait 20-something white guys yelling at you to subscribe Minecraft videos, half perverted (such as Spiderman kissing Elsa from Frozen) or oddly gory children videos like the ones described in the article. If I ever have kids, there's no way in hell I'm letting them run free with an iPad or iPhone. I know it's the "easy way…

Also part of the first generation internet, definitely believe the internet was deeply harmful to my development, as well as a subset of my peers. Suspect that subset will grow larger with Ipad parenting being normal. Not trying to tell anyone how to parent, but I don't like how ubiquitous internet has become with so little good psychology done on it's effects socially.

Yeah. I learned fascinating things from Wikipedia, learned to develop, which led to working in tech which I am thankful for. But I also went from reading novels for 12 hours a day to browsing reddit for 12 hours a day, which did a number on my brain. Deeply regret it.

Re: Algorithm That Makes Preschoolers Obsessed with YouTube

#69

Post by arbuge »

strictnein wrote: post #7
option wrote: post #2

Kids aged 2 and 3 should watch any content together with their parent. Or at the very least, the content that parent watched and approved before. No 2 or 3 year old should be mindlessly browsing Youtube

I did, and now this is permanently burned into my brain: "Daddy finger, daddy finger, where are you? Here I am, here I am, how do you do?"

Almost as bad is the one about monkeys jumping on the bed...

Re: Algorithm That Makes Preschoolers Obsessed with YouTube

#70

Post by pmoriarty »

Retric wrote: post #34
fudged71 wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My wife is a teacher and one of her students in grade 2 has somehow been seeing beheading videos (apparently on youtube but that seems nearly impossible) because they are left with an ipad for so long. I can't even begin to comprehend what that would do to the brain of a child. TV for children is very restricted and regulated for a very important reason.

Beheading was public spectacle up until very recently, kids are less distressed by seeing violence than you might think. If anything it's people with problems that tend to search for such things rather than such videos causing something.

People should read the old, original Brothers Grim stories. Plenty of that was pretty, ahem, grim.

Over the centuries it's been sanitized and Disneyfied, but the primal drives that fascinated by that sort of thing have not gone away.

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