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What Parents Need to Know About Online Safety
When I was a kid (a long time ago), the bus driver clicked your bus ticket and bait, and it was something used to attract fish; but the two words together have a new connotation, and we all need to be more aware of the power of clickbait. Clickbait is a website link designed to entice users to go to a certain webpage, or in this case, YouTube. This is all, of course, connected to views; the more views a YouTuber amasses, the more advertising revenue they earn, and the more likely their subscriber base will grow.
When my own kids were younger, they watched VHS tapes and DVDs in the lounge, and the PC was positioned in the family room. Life, from a media point of view, was simple, but that changed in 2007 when the late Steve Jobs introduced us to mobile devices. Communication was instant; we could and can take our devices anywhere, anytime.
Recently, on a walk, I listened to a[1]Ted Talk by James Bridle; it literally gave me goosebumps. I was curious and concerned about the concept he spoke of, so much so that I delved into it a bit more. James Bridle spoke of uncovering a dark, strange corner of the internet, where unknown people or groups on YouTube hack the brains of young children in return for advertising revenue. From "Surprise Egg" reveals and the "Finger Family Song" to algorithmically created mashups of familiar cartoon characters in violent situations, these videos can terrify young minds – Bridle’s TED Talk was in particular
aimed at parents of young children, toddlers, i.e., those between 2 and 4 years who cannot read, but they can operate the Autoplay feature on YouTube.
Autoplay makes it easier for children to decide what to watch next; YouTube will automatically play another related video based on viewing history. Here is the very scary part: children can be innocently watching ‘Finger Family’ and, within ten clicks, be watching a dark video with sexual or violent content. Try it yourself. Innocent kids are being exposed to some very dark content, and parents need to be very aware of this. At the Kidz Therapy centre, I have been privy to many discussions with parents concerned that their children are addicted to their screens, and we see quite a few families at the centre seeking support to break their children’s cycle of addictive watching/gaming. Autoplay may be one reason for excessive screen use.
Earlier this year, a mother of an 8-year-old boy called Jack called me extremely upset and concerned that her son had become addicted to sexual content. The mother relayed that during the April holidays, Jack was using his iPad constantly, so she took it on herself to look at his history. Right under her nose, Jack had been accessing and exposed to sexual and violent content; can you imagine how she felt? I suspect he was an innocent victim of clickbait.
As an Educational Psychologist, I often work alongside ADHD students, and it is a truism that most parents comment along the lines of “Scarlett has attentional problems, but none are apparent when it comes to interacting with screens; she can sit for hours without moving, totally mesmerised by the screen”. [2]Research from 2005 reports that the performance of participants with ADHD (aged between 6 and 14 years) on commercially available games was equivalent to that of typically developing participants, and their attention was significantly better on the more game-like version of the Conners Continuous Performance Test II. Like the younger children, it is the constant screen movement, for some, the repetitive nature of the video clips, and certainly the dopamine hit, that captures their attention.
So, what can we do? One of the main pieces of advice I received from the TED Talk was not to allow your younger children unrestrained access to YouTube. Some very strange and dark clips are loaded onto YouTube; perhaps have a look yourself by going to popular video clips such as the ‘Finger Family song’ and using the Autoplay function.
Secondly, you can set parental controls on YouTube; have a look at this article: http://www.real.com/resources/youtube-parental-controls/
Thirdly, do some research; there are excellent apps such as OurPact.com that allow you, as the parent, to limit screen time and manage your children’s phones and devices across Wi-Fi platforms. This can also be done remotely. The app lets you allow, schedule, and block content and distracting apps while ensuring your children can access useful and appropriate apps.
Fourthly, know what your children are looking at; review their history regularly. The old saying ‘ignorance is bliss’ does not apply in our technological age.
Marie Kelly
DIRECTOR | EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGIST
Kidz Therapy Ltd, 642 New North Road, Morningside, Auckland 1022 (09) 849 4232
