Is YouTube a friend or foe?

If you take a look at YouTube’s statistic pages, there are some pretty impressive numbers.  It now reports having over a billion users who watch hundreds of millions of hours daily generating billions of views. The last three years have seen a fifty percent increase in both views and hours spent watching each year and it is still increasing. The current statistics meant that a third of all internet users are using YouTube and it has become part of our daily lives in one way or another.  Most of us use it but for our children. YouTube has become the centre of their entertainment universe for many replacing television, so as parents, should be embracing YouTube or approaching with extreme caution.

Why is YouTube so popular?

If you asked my sons about YouTube, their responses would be in words such as epic, awesome or hilarious. They love YouTube.  So much so that I would go as far as to say that they are obsessed.  Being ten and twelve, they have been dipping in and out of YouTube now for a couple of years, but this year it has become their ‘thing’. The videos that they watch, range from WWE to people playing FIFA on the Xbox and there are a number of high-profile YouTubers that they enjoy watching regularly.

For them, they have everything that they could possibly need in one place. It is interesting, engaging, funny.  They talk about YouTube videos with their friends.  If I took YouTube away from them, the world would end (and trust me, I have done this a couple of times and you would think that it had ended). I have read on more than a few occasions that YouTube is now the biggest children’s entertainment platform and I think if you were looking at the 10 – 15 age group, that would certainly be true, maybe even for younger children.

Has it replaced television?

This year it YouTube has replaced the television for my sons.  They aren’t interested in television really now.  Unlike the television, they can watch what they want, when they want and according to them, You Tube is more interesting. They dip in and out to watch the odd program on television and some sport but less and less so now than ever.  I’m pretty sure that if I invested in a smart television, they might suddenly have a renewed interest in joining us in the living room, but it would be to watch YouTube.

When discussing this topic the other day, their argument is that there is no difference watching YouTube to watching television. Like I might watch a series, they watch a series of videos, the only difference is that they can watch it when they want. They can also watch TV programs on there is they wanted to, except when they want, not when the TV schedule dictates they should.  They may have a point there.

For them, the whole concept of television is now old-fashioned, outdated.  They want to watch what they want when they want. They want their entertainment to relate to them, to their hobbies, their interests and with YouTube, they can do just that.

Are there any benefits?

Even I have to admit that YouTube has so many benefits to offer everyone.  I use regularly to find solutions to problems, whatever you need, someone somewhere will have made a quick fix solution video and I have repaired a dishwasher, reset mobile phones and found solutions to a variety of household problems thanks to the wonders of the step by step videos.  I conquered my seeming inability to crochet thanks to some great tutorials and I have used tutorials to help with blogging issues too. There is such a diverse range of things on YouTube, you can learn a lot from it.

From an education point of view, YouTube is an invaluable tool.  From funky songs to help learn times tables to watching Peppa Pig in French, there is so much you can use as a parent and a teacher to inspire and educate children all at the touch of a button. You can open up the whole world right there on the screen and from the point of view of teaching languages, it offers the perfect way to inspire children to learn languages by showing them language in action rather than the old-fashioned way of listening to a recording.

What about the disadvantages?

As a parent, apart from the time vacuum that seems to occur when my kids are using YouTube, being able to filter out the bad stuff is my biggest worry.  The boys are now at the age where they are pushing boundaries and want to watch videos which I might not always agree with.

On the whole, I know that the content they are choosing is pretty harmless, they love watching gamers, funny videos and strangely people opening packs of football cards. They aren’t trying to watch inappropriate videos but the language on some of them is not great.  I’m not naive enough to think that they never hear swearing in school or out and about (or occasionally from me in the car) but I don’t want them to become desensitised to think that this is  normal way to talk.  Plus, they have a six-year-old sister and I have made it very clear (by switching YouTube off altogether) that I will not have videos with poor language blaring out throughout the house (is it me or do a lot of YouTubers seem to shout?)

My biggest worry is of course that they are able to easily access videos that are really not appropriate at all and it is very easy to do so.  We did try using the YouTube filter but it seemed to stop them watching the things that we had no problem with and still allowed the videos with swearing.  In the end, I removed the filter and I keep a close eye and ear on what they are watching and keep talking to them about appropriate content and why they need to stick to certain rules.  If not, our broadband shield can block certain sites, so they know that I will add YouTube to the list if it isn’t used correctly.

There is now a dedicated app called YouTube Kids which is perfect for younger children as it limits content to child-friendly videos and content and blocks out comments.  It even has a timer which gives parents the option to set a limit on screen time.

Dreaming of becoming a YouTuber

So many children I speak to these days want to be YouTubers.  It is certainly inspiring a generation of future vloggers.  They love watching their favourite vloggers and so it is only natural that they want to follow in their footsteps.

My kids aren’t interested in being vloggers, but they would like to have their own YouTube channel, apparently, they would like to make silly videos or commentaries on Xbox games, preferring to hide behind a camera than to be in front of it.

So should we be encouraging our children to be the future generation of YouTubers? If you look at the figures, you would be hard pressed to find a reason why not.  One of the boys’ favourites is KSI who has reportedly made millions from his gaming videos.  The boys love his videos and they are not alone.  His channels have over 12,000,000 subscribers and that is growing and he has allegedly made millions. He is one of many YouTubers who enthrall our kids with their regular videos and for those that really make it, the money they make is quite eye-opening.

Even if they aren’t going to be the next KSI or Zoella, surely YouTubing as a hobby isn’t such a bad idea. It is creative and encourages them to express themselves and inventive.  They would have to organise themselves and their time. They would need to improve their technical skills and understand the process of making a good video.  To be successful and to maintain a YouTube channel takes time, determination and a whole range of skills.

However, like anything that becomes popular, YouTube is now saturated with wannabe YouTubers all hoping to be the next best thing and although there does seem to be a place for everyone and everything on there, I think my advice to anyone wanting to make their fame and fortune would be to start it as a hobby and have a back up plan just in case.

YouTube and blogging

Personally, for me the keyboard is still mightier than a video but the majority of bloggers have jumped on the YouTube bandwagon and why not? It is a great way to generate more traffic to your blog, more and more brands are looking for bloggers who vlog to promote their products and ultimately there is money to be made from YouTube.  With the numbers of people using YouTube, as a blogger you are going to have the potential to widen your reach far more quickly and easily which, if you are comfortable in front of a camera, quite honestly you would be mad not to give it a go.

So is YouTube a friend or foe? If I’m honest, I think it can be both. It can be the most useful tool available when you need it, it can provide us with ways to inspire, educate and entertain our children but like anything, it needs to be moderated.  I have had times recently when I have thought that YouTube is the worst thing for my children but I know how powerful it can be in a positive way too.  I will always use it personally and professionally, so it would be hypocritical to tell my children that they can’t but I will continue to keep a close eye and ear on what they are watching.  A better filter system for YouTube would be helpful, one where you could filter out certain types of videos or language for those not quite teenagers who love YouTube but aren’t mature enough to use it sensibly. If I had that, I would be a lot happier.

SaveSave