WVXU: How much time is your child spending on YouTube?

Nancy Jennings, PhD, professor and director of UC’s School of Communication, Film, and Media Studies and director of the Children's Education and Entertainment Research Lab, was a featured guest on Cincinnati Edition to speak to trends in children’s entertainment.  

Data shows that children are spending an increasing amount of time on YouTube; and it is vastly more content than most streaming services, experts told Lucy May, the radio show host.    

Children are spending more time on the platform likely because the shows stream into the next one, says Jennings; adding that even though it is more individual use parents might not be seeing what their children are seeing.

There’s very little public policy and content regulation, she says, adding that most of it is “self-regulation.” There are also no regulations around advertising, just “guidelines.”

The children’s app, YouTubeKids for children under age 14, is far more monitored for content than the regular version, says another guest. There was some controversy called “Elsagate” around 2010 when people were taking existing human and cartoon characters and placing them into content to unsuitable for children.

To listen to the interview  

Featured image at top courtesy of iStockPhoto.