"The details are fuzzy, but I think my husband and I downloaded the YouTube Kids app to our TV sometime in 2022, when between one and three members of the household came down with the flu at the same time. Like countless parents of toddlers before us, we needed something, anything, that would buy us a moment to vomit in peace."
"We initially let our son, Lennox, roam free through the app, trusting in the content filters and the broad categorization of "appropriate for preschoolers." He found some endearing and harmless stuff that way. Truck Tunes is charming, and so is Zerby Derby, a live-action show starring some slightly goofy RC cars that reminds me in a way of Mystery Science Theater."
A family downloaded the YouTube Kids app to a TV in 2022 to occupy a sick toddler and initially trusted content filters and age categorization. The child discovered harmless shows like Truck Tunes and Zerby Derby, but the app's recommendation pathways led to repetitive, computer-generated cartoons of trucks and many toy unboxing videos. The feed included Blippi and numerous imitators, indoor playground clips presented as educational content, and unexpected recordings such as farming simulator gameplay. Those algorithm-driven trajectories became concerning and repetitive. The family ultimately removed YouTube Kids from every screen and ended its use in the household.
Read at The Verge
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]