For many parents, when YouTube came out with YouTube Kids, parents let out a sigh of relief. Happy for a filter-based program, parents often hear YouTube’s warning and still trust YouTube’s filters. YouTube warns that some content will slip through and tells parents how to flag it for removal. However, if your children use this app, please be aware. As anything, you still need to provide guidance and oversight. This report summarizes a recent find related to suicide by Ed Payne of Gray News.
By Ed Payne, Gray News |
YouTube Kids is supposed to be a safe place for children to grab a bit of screen time – maybe watch some “PAW Patrol” or sing along to “Baby Shark.”
But recently, several parents have discovered disturbing videos on the site, ones making them question how safe a place it is.
The videos in question have a 9-second clip edited into them of a man giving advice on how to properly slit your wrists.
“Remember kids: sideways for attention, longways for results. End it.”
Parents not closely monitoring what their children are watching could easily miss the message because it quickly returns to what looks like a regular video.
Mom and pediatrician Free Hess posted the clip to her PediMom website and social media accounts.
The original video has since been removed from YouTube and YouTube Kids, but there’s nothing stopping someone from posting another like it.
“It makes me angry and sad and frustrated,” Hess told CNN. “I’m a pediatrician, and I’m seeing more and more kids coming in with self-harm and suicide attempts. I don’t doubt that social media and things such as this is contributing.” Continue Reading
