YouTube Launch Kids App
Child Friendly Viewing
Google have
recently announced a new addition to the YouTube family with the launch of ‘YouTube
Kids’, an app aimed at creating a safer viewing environment for children. The
new app went live in the US on android phones on 23rd February, with
plans for release on other platforms and in the UK soon.
dadswhodiaper.com
The Kids app
basically offers a limited version of YouTube, with only select channels
verified as child friendly being available. The content will be provided by popular
children’s shows such as Sesame Street, Reading Rainbow and Thomas the Tank
Engine, among many more. In addition, LeVar Burton, who gained fame for his involvement
in Reading Rainbow, has plans to create an exclusive new series on YouTube Kids
called uTech, which will focus on next generation technologies.
To give
parents an extra measure of control, the app includes a timer to limit viewing
time. After the set allotted time the app will close and demand a password to
reactivate, thus allowing parents to keep a tight control over just how long
their child spends staring at his tablet. Comments are also disabled to protect
children from the inevitable barrage of abuse, profanities and religious debate
that somehow seem to clog up every single comments section on the site.
variety.com
The user
interface has been tweaked to make it more accessible to young children, with
the toolbar gone and replaced by just five large icons to filter results.
Viewers can choose between kids shows, music videos or educational programming,
as well as an explore option that displays the most popular videos, and of
course an integrated search engine to filter results more specifically. The
search option includes voice commands for children not yet able to write, and
any attempt to search a curse word will be disallowed displaying the message ‘Try
Something Else’.
According to
Google project manager Shimrit Ben-Yair the app’s release follows countless
requests from parents to make YouTube safer:
"Parents were constantly asking us, can you make YouTube a better place for our kids. We've seen 50% growth year over year in viewing time on YouTube, but for our family entertainment channels, it's more like 200%."
The move has been endorsed by the NSPCC and other children’s
charities. A representative for the organisation commented on the launch:
"Keeping children safe online is the biggest child protection challenge of this generation. So it's good to hear about the launch of YouTube Kids. I'm sure it will be embraced by parents wanting increased reassurance that their younger children won't be exposed to inappropriate material."
The universal reaction to the announcement seems overwhelmingly
positive, and the new app looks set to have massive global success. Child safety
is a rising concern when it comes to online activity, and it’s good to see a company
try to do something to tackle the issue head on.
Sam Bonson
Sam is an aspiring novelist with a passion for fantasy and crime thrillers. Currently working part time as a content writer, he hopes to one day drop that 'aspiring' prefix. Follow him @SamAtSMF
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YouTube Launch Kids App
Reviewed by Unknown
on
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Rating:
Reviewed by Unknown
on
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Rating:
Unknown
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