As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, the decline in the quality of content tailored for young minds is not just a concern for parents and educators, it is a pressing issue that has the potential to shape an entire generation’s values, perspectives, and future.
85% of young children watch YouTube on a daily basis, according to a Pew Research Center survey. As the internet continues to grow and improve, the assumption is that entertainment would do the same, however, that is not the case. Instead of engaging with material that is enriching and educational, children are now exposed to shallow and sometimes even disturbing content.
Due to the ease of video production in today’s time, many creators will produce mass amounts of content for children purely for profit. Since kids often re-watch the same type of videos due to a love of repetition, they amass millions of views. However, even though they’re targeted towards elementary schoolers, these channels will often include topics that are foolish at best and inappropriate or scary at worst.
The term “Elsa-gate” was popularized to describe this phenomenon. It refers to the recurring problem of YouTube videos including beloved childhood elements, such as familiar characters or popular games, but concerning topics and storylines. The thumbnails of all these videos seem innocent, happy graphics on bright backgrounds, which makes it difficult to recognize the harmful content at first sight. To add to that, they often include no dialogue, just cheerful music. Only after watching for a few minutes can some disturbing images and themes be uncovered. The list of these themes are long, but they include everything from violence and gore to being strangely sensual.
When presented with a few pictures of said thumbnails and asked if she had ever seen them, an anonymous 2nd grader nodded and said, “I see those all the time. My brother doesn’t like them because he thinks they’re weird. At recess my friends showed me those videos, I like the princess ones.”
One of the main consequences of these videos is its negative impact on children’s development. Some examples are a lack of critical thinking skills, reduced creativity, and limited cognitive development. Mature subject matter can take away childhood innocence and negatively affect their attitude. According to the NSPCC, “Violent content leads to violent behavior.”
“I thought I could trust Youtube Kids,” comments Amina Shah, a retired elementary school teacher. “But when I saw what my kids were watching, I was horrified.” When asked whether she thought the rise in these types of videos had any effects on her past students, Shah said, “Sometimes I would hear [them] talk about topics that were not only not school appropriate, but not kid appropriate. I was like, how did they learn that? I guess these videos might come into play somewhere.”
The sheer amount of ‘Elsa-gate’ content online is overwhelming, and it is not kids’ fault for being drawn to something specifically made to entice them. To address this issue, it is crucial for parents and educators to prioritize and promote high-quality content for children. Parents should be aware of what their child is watching and set clear rules and boundaries. And to solve the root of it all, it’s important to spread awareness in order for these channels to be reported and removed.
As a society, we should acknowledge the significance of granting children access to high-quality content that nurtures their minds, encourages critical thinking, and promotes positive values, along with being mindful of the negative impacts that can arise when we fail to do so.
