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Yes, Youtube is a bazaar. But why is _Youtube Kids_ a bazaar? Its whole appeal is that it is (at first impression) a place for curated content, such that it's k

by pm215 9y ago

Yes, Youtube is a bazaar. But why is _Youtube Kids_ a bazaar? Its whole appeal is that it is (at first impression) a place for curated content, such that it's kid-friendly. But it doesn't work (eg https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/04/business/media/youtube-kids-paw-patrol.html https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/04/business/media/youtube-ki...) because google is trying to create a curated content zone by algorithm.

TAForObvReasons 9y ago
The real question is: "Can an algorithm identify child-friendly content?" The answer is currently unknown. Families are basically the "beta testers" of the algorithms in question, but the downsides of that approach, like exposing kids to really disturbing content, are horrifying.
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
- alphonsegaston 9y ago
  Marketing your product as kid-friendly and then demonstrably exposing children to abusive content, through “algorithmic negligence” or otherwise, should incur serious penalty. It never ceases to amaze that the kind of psychological engineering these companies engage in is outside the bounds of any established ethics, but somehow they escape unscathed because money.
- dragonwriter 9y ago
  Child-friendly isn't even a well-defined objective category; different parents will disagree violently (sometimes, quite literally) over what is appropriate.
- vlunkr 9y ago
  How about "Do we need algorithms to find child-friendly conent?"
tb303 9y ago
That's exactly it. The whole point of YTK was to protect our kids from the fire hose and provide a trusted safe space. About a year ago it was. Our son was watching Blippi and videos about banana slugs. We deleted the app once we saw the dark shit slipping in there and it was clear YouTube was not acting to address it.
replicatorblog 9y ago
I was surprised to read those posts re: YouTube Kids. My daughter has watched a few thousand hours of YT Kids over the last two years while she's been bed-ridden with leukemia. My wife or I have been within earshot for almost all of it. 99% of what she watched was human made content and the most risque thing she saw was a video where a "host" pretended to make some stuffed animal poop gumballs. A good chunk was actually educational—she went on a kick learning how to make healthy smoothies and learning about the solar system, state capitols, etc. Perhaps we've just been extraordinarily lucky, but the reporting re: TY Kids this week reminds me of the 1980s panic around Dungeons and Dragons.

by pm215 9y ago

TAForObvReasons 9y ago

The real question is: "Can an algorithm identify child-friendly content?" The answer is currently unknown. Families are basically the "beta testers" of the algorithms in question, but the downsides of that approach, like exposing kids to really disturbing content, are horrifying.

deleted 9y ago
[deleted]
alphonsegaston 9y ago
Marketing your product as kid-friendly and then demonstrably exposing children to abusive content, through “algorithmic negligence” or otherwise, should incur serious penalty. It never ceases to amaze that the kind of psychological engineering these companies engage in is outside the bounds of any established ethics, but somehow they escape unscathed because money.
dragonwriter 9y ago
Child-friendly isn't even a well-defined objective category; different parents will disagree violently (sometimes, quite literally) over what is appropriate.
vlunkr 9y ago
How about "Do we need algorithms to find child-friendly conent?"

tb303 9y ago

That's exactly it. The whole point of YTK was to protect our kids from the fire hose and provide a trusted safe space. About a year ago it was. Our son was watching Blippi and videos about banana slugs. We deleted the app once we saw the dark shit slipping in there and it was clear YouTube was not acting to address it.

replicatorblog 9y ago

I was surprised to read those posts re: YouTube Kids. My daughter has watched a few thousand hours of YT Kids over the last two years while she's been bed-ridden with leukemia. My wife or I have been within earshot for almost all of it. 99% of what she watched was human made content and the most risque thing she saw was a video where a "host" pretended to make some stuffed animal poop gumballs. A good chunk was actually educational—she went on a kick learning how to make healthy smoothies and learning about the solar system, state capitols, etc. Perhaps we've just been extraordinarily lucky, but the reporting re: TY Kids this week reminds me of the 1980s panic around Dungeons and Dragons.