Adult content is three clicks away from kids
Online safety at high risk; experts, advocates and YouTube itself warn against letting your child browse the video site without supervision.
Navigating the digital world can be dangerous for children. Although the internet can be a wonderful resource, no parent wants their kid to stumble upon violence, sexual content or drug use.
A recent study released by British digital security firm Kaspersky Lab, says that children can be as little as three clicks away from inappropriate or adult content on YouTube.
The study looked at popular children’s programs and the “related videos” that surface with them, reports The Washington Post.
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According to the study, a child watching 'Dora the Explorer' on YouTube could accidentally reach swearing and nudity content in four clicks. From 'Sesame Street,' potentially disturbing videos are just two clicks away.
YouTube’s Safety Center offers resources for parents and educators. The video site does not allow children under 13 to sign up for accounts, although they can watch videos without signing in.
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David Emm, senior security researcher at Kaspersky Lab, was quoted, "It's worrying to see just how simple it is for children to access videos of an adult nature on YouTube. With younger generations becoming more IT literate and parents increasingly turning to mobile devices, online games and apps as a means of entertaining their kids, these results highlight the importance of taking steps to protect them online.”
Kaspersky Lab promotes strict measures such as personally watching children as they surf the web or installing security software to monitor their browsing history. Insafe, a European-Union-funded organization encourages parents to promote a culture of safety at home and offers an online activity book, 'Play and Learn: Being Online,”'for kids ages 4 to 8.
Do you supervise your child’s Internet use?
Bing: Tips for keeping kids safe online
More from Family Room:
Teen mom denied right to breast feed
Toddler death raises concern over car seat rules
Violent video games and child aggression
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Photo: Adult content is three clicks away online / Donald Iain Smith/Getty Images
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