Writers Blog #2
One of this week’s conversations in class was about YouTube and a look at the dangers it can bring to young kids. Another topic that surfaced in a conversation was how the internet has changed the world and how we use technology daily.
Beginning with social media, one thing we learned was the dangers of YouTube and why kids should not be on this platform. This is an important topic that should cross over parents’ minds before allowing their children to watch YouTube freely.
Have you ever been watching YouTube late at night, ended up falling asleep, and woke up to a completely different video than what you decided to watch before falling asleep?
If so, you’ll ask yourself… why or how? How did this video end up on my screen?
Unfortunately, YouTube can be very addictive for young kids. After learning in class through a Ted Talk video, the dangers of YouTube are extremely important to learn about before letting children on the website.
Most likely, parents think that their kids are watching an innocent video and that everything is fine, and if this is the case, awesome, but do they realize their kids are watching the same video over and over until YouTube brings them to an inappropriate video?
YouTube has a feature that allows you to “loop” videos for as long as the screen is on. This makes it so these kids are not picking the videos that they are watching, but only what YouTube decides what video should be next.
YouTube on its own is not safe enough for kids. A curious child can search for anything they wish and get videos on any topic at any moment… even if the video is not meant to be for kids. I sure wouldn’t want my child to search up how babies are made…
Another topic in class that we learned about was the internet and how it has expanded to what it is today. Is everything on the internet real? No.
Social media has grown a stigma to where anyone in the world only shows their good side or the interesting parts of their lives. Do you think every influencer who makes a day in the life video gets up at 5 A.M every day and goes to the gym? I’m sure there are a few who do, but all? Are they just trying to show how “perfect” their lives are?
There was a girl who spoke in class about her roommate who makes day-in-the-life videos and mentioned that she only includes the amazing parts of her day, not the boring parts.
Ever since the internet has become a thing, it has become more sad each day. The internet is a place where people can fake whatever they want for a click on their video or some sort of like and comment. The internet is also a place where one’s career can end… due to cancel culture.
Think about what you post on Instagram or any other social media app, what captures of your life do you share on the internet?
Don’t get me wrong, the internet is an amazing invention that allows many to connect with others and use it positively, but many downsides can lead to people learning false information or fake ideas of what they need to be.
