YouTube video makers secretly manipulating YOUR kids by showing them adverts, ‘inappropriate’ content and criminal acts, experts claim
Kids watching popular YouTubers have no idea they are being tricked into watching advertisements and branding for hours on end
PARENTS have been warned that kids are being duped into watching hours of advertising posing as entertainment on YouTube.
The massive video sharing site has become the most popular "alternative to children's TV" and is watched by millions of youngsters.
YouTube's policy states only those aged 13-and-over can have an account.
But researchers from the Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil and Harvard University, US, claim that some of the most popular children's channels are viewed by under 12s and warn that young, vulnerable minds are ripe for exploitation by advertisers who are targeting them with marketing "disguised as other content".
The computer scientists analysed some of the most popular British, Brazilian and American YouTube channels for kids to understand the impact these companies might be having.
Their research paper, titled "", states: "They use popular YouTubers to pitch products and brands as non-commercial content in videos that are viewed worldwide.
They found that most viewers were white female children - putting that group potentially most at risk.
YouTube offers a locked down version of its site called YouTube Kids.
The app has strict rules on adult content and filters out any inappropriate content.
But it cannot block entertainment masquerading as manipulative advertising.
Children can easily watch clips on their parent's phone, which may already be logged into an adult account if the parent has signed into Google or their Gmail account, for example.
This means there is no limit to what they are accessing.
Earlier this year it emerged that kids were being tricked into watching sick adult versions of popular cartoons.
How to protect young children from sick videos disguised as cartoons
There are plenty of spoofs of cartoons that are clearly labelled for adult eyes only. But you should be wary of certain YouTube channels that appear to be aimed at children. These include:
- LORD BAD BABY
- TOYS 4 FUN!
- SMILE KIDS TV
- TOYS AND FUNNY KIDS SURPRISE EGGS
- SUPERHERO-SPIDERMAN-FROZEN
You can download the YouTube Kids App, which only shows "appropriate" cartoons and blocks adult content.
Some cartoons will still slip through, but it will make it easier to monitor what tots are watching.
This also lets you set a timer.
The timer will display a friendly alert and stop the app when the session is over.
How to set up a timer
- Tap the lock icon in the bottom corner of any page in the app.
- Read and enter the numbers that appear or enter your password.
- Select Timer
- Use the slider bar or the and icons to set a time limit
- Tap Start Timer
Kids will see a "Time's up!" notification and the app will be locked once the time limit has been reached. To unlock the screen, select the lock icon again, read and enter the numbers that appear or enter your password, select Timer and tap End Timer. You can also activate a safety mode, or restricted mode on your account.
- Sign in to your YouTube account.
- Scroll to the bottom of any YouTube page and click the Restricted Mode drop-down menu.
- Select On or Off.
- Click on Save.
In some cases, videos which looked child-friendly showed Peppa Pig having her teeth pulled out to the sound of screaming children or have an axe buried in her head.
Disney characters were shown being injected with needles and covered in blood.
"Even if some usage of under 18s is generally considered as fair due to parents' or legal responsible consent and supervision, the fact is that if children are actually using the platform they can be exposed to different challenges, as advertising, inappropriate content, privacy issues and crimes in the digital world, which raises concerns about compliance with regulations in several countries," the paper states.
"Most of the digital services offered on the web are funded by advertising, which makes it ubiquitous in children's everyday life.
"YouTube offers ad-funded video channels.
"As a consequence, several questions about the role of advertising in children's life arise."
YouTube has been contacted for comment.
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