Video content on apps is about to get a whole lot safer for kids thanks to a new initiative from YouTube.
The launch of YouTube Kids app
I was watching a video with my 9 year old son that his friend has told him about in school. It was a drag racing video and I thought, “OK, that sounds a bit extreme, but we’ll see…”
They had all these cameras and mics inside the drag cars. Boy, oh boy, the language I heard is something I wasn’t prepared for! I had to dial the volume down after the second nasty word. Later on I watched the whole thing when I was out of my son’s earshot and it was all toilet talk.
And sometimes even if the video you’re watching with your child isn’t objectionable, the commercial that runs before it will be. That’s created a real need in the marketplace. Parents want safe zones for their kids when they’re online.
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So YouTube is stepping up with its own solution. They have a new kids channel app simply called YouTube Kids that is completely safe, free to use, and has kid friendly shows and video content.
Programming you’ll find on the app includes Sesame Street, TuTiTuTV, Reading Rainbow, Thomas The Tank Engine, Yo Gabba Gabba, Talking Tom, National Geographic Kids, Jim Henson TV, Pocoyo and Dreamworks TV.
The app is available for both Android and iOS. When you use YouTube Kids, you are in a cocoon of safety. It’s the first time ever YouTube has attempted to target this market. As a parent of single digit, I am relieved it is there! It makes the online environment feel a little bit safer.
