If you haven’t heard by now, YouTube was recently embroiled in scandals about inappropriate content being targeted to children. Which is why a lot of mums and dads are looking for kid-friendly alternatives to YouTube to make sure their little ones don’t watch any inappropriate videos.
That’s why for parents, making sure that their children watch age-appropriate content is no longer as simple as looking at the title or the video thumbnail since some videos can be very misleading or deceptive. Mums and dads these days also need to be tech-savvy and know the signs that a website or video might contain questionable content.
How can parents know which sites are safe?
There are a few ways where mums and dads can help ensure that the videos their kids are watching have age-appropriate content. Here are some helpful tips:
- Look at the site or watch the video first. This is a good way for mums and dads to ‘police’ the content that their kids are viewing online as it’s pretty straightforward and all you need to do is to watch the video or check out the website that your child wants to visit.
- Turn on parental controls on your browser or on specific sites. You can register an account for your child on YouTube and then turn on the parental controls in order to restrict the content that they can access. Of course, this isn’t always foolproof, but it does help.
- Supervise your kids whenever they watch videos or look at sites. It’s very helpful to be with your child whenever they go online since it’s much easier for parents to explain things to their kids, and they can easily check and see if the content their kid is watching might be age-inappropriate.
- Restrict screen time. Kids don’t really have to use the internet that much so there’s no need for them to be constantly online. Restricting your child’s screen time can help you better control the content that they access and consume.
Another good idea is for parents to be aware of kid-friendly sites that have strict security and are specifically designed to provide safe and wholesome content for kids. That way, parents don’t have to constantly worry about whether the video their child is watching has some hidden obscenities or age-inappropriate themes.
Are you sure that the videos your child watches and the websites that they visit are safe?
What are good, kid-friendly alternatives to YouTube?
While it’s always a good idea to check out the sites that your little one visits, it can be a bit tedious to check out each and every one of them to see if they’re child-friendly. And when it comes to video sharing websites, it’s much more difficult since you obviously can’t watch all of the videos that they have.
We compiled a list of parent and child-approved websites that are good alternatives to YouTube:
- Jellies – Jellies is an app as well as a service that provides curated content that’s safe for kids. It’s a bit pricey at 4.99 USD a month, but it’s a small cost if you want to ensure that your child’s screen time is safe.
- PBS Kids Video – PBS Kids Video gives kids access to hundreds of children’s shows that are available on PBS network and the website is easily searchable which makes it convenient even for kids to navigate.
- Noggin – Noggin is similar to Jellis in that it’s a video subscription website that offers great content for kids. They also have shows like Dora the Explorer, Blue’s Clues, and Moose and Zee. Their subscription costs 5.99 USD a month, but if you register, you get the first 7 days for free to try it out.
- Cakey – Cakey is an app for the IOS that lets your kid watch curated and kid-friendly video playlists from YouTube. There’s also a parent mode option wherein parents can handpick the videos that they want their kids to watch.
- Nick Jr. App – The Nick Jr. app and website both offer quality, kid-friendly videos as well as games and other fun activities that your little one can engage in.
The most important thing that parents need to remember is that visiting websites and watching videos online don’t compare to the experience of teaching your kid yourself or playing with them. While educational sites can be helpful, nothing really beats good-old fashioned play and learning that mums and dads can provide!
Sources: techcrunch.com, commonsensemedia.org
READ: Internet safety for kids: How to keep your kids safe online