Today Google launched The YouTube Kids App, a safe haven for children to enjoy videos without their parents worrying about coming across a video with sexual content or curse words. Seems like a great idea right?
My initial reaction as a non-parent is yes, it's a good thing. Most parents want their kids to stay in a safe zone of non-cussing, non-sexual content, which is pretty dang hard not to come across on YouTube, as many non age-restricted videos have an exorbitant amount of cussing and sexual content.
However, upon downloading the app to see for myself (I'm the 1,000th downloader woo-hoo!) I discovered it to be chalk full of... "Most popular songs of Barney" and Disney's Frozen "Let it Go" playlists....*deep breath in .....siiigggghhhhh.* Also, it has some coca-cabana
theme music on a constant loop that I'm sure even the kids will get annoyed with after the first minute or two.
Yes, I realize the app is for kids (and very small children at that) but Barney and "Let it Go" cover recreations sound as if Jigsaw from Saw created the app just to torment parents. I can hear him now. If I had kids Jigsaw would say: "Mr. Hayhoe....wana play a game? I have downloaded the YouTube Kids app to your Galaxy tablet. You must allow your son to be on it at full volume for 8 hours straight as you drive through the Sahara desert. If you even slightly get annoyed, the tablet will explode, killing your first born child and yourself in the middle of the desert."
Ok, ok so this is a dark/dismal/extreme instance to say the least, and I'll be the first to admit and I'm wildly exaggerating and way out of my jurisdiction writing an article about an app I spent no longer than two minutes on.
Hilariously though, the YouTube Kids App requires a parental password. Yes, YouTube Kids app has a spelled out pin code (mine was five-three-two-two...I think) because, you know, kids can't read numbers if they're spelled out; plus, kids need a parent to type in a password to access kids' content...?
Hey YouTube, shouldn't it be the other way around?
How come adults have to enter a password on an app that's for kids? Shouldn't the 'regular' YouTube app require a 'parental password?' Just a thought...
Google/YouTube is very strict in allowing who or what channel can post on the Kids app. As no surprise, I tried searching for Jenna Marbles, to no avail. I tried searching my personal channel, to no avail. By limiting searching to only content that is approved by YouTube and screened just for children is good and all, but doesn't that defeat the purpose of YouTube? AsdB of now there's no sign of kid YouTubers; just mainly nightmarishly annoying sing along content....
Overall I do think it's a good idea. The execution isn't fantastic, but the good news is YouTube now has a platform for kids to play and parents to feel safe that their child's mind isn't being tormented by Five Nights at Freddys videos.
The question is, will we see kid YouTubers on the YouTube Kids app? Will they even be allowed? Perhaps, only time will tell. After all, it has only been a day.
