Page 26 - Blue Valley News March Issue 2023

ESTATE NEWS

YouTube teen safety

By Nicoleen Davies, Life Talk Forum

Can you believe it – YouTube is 17 years old! And did you know
that YouTube remains the unrivalled dominant social media site
for teens? A study published in October 2022 revealed that 95%
of teenagers claimed to use YouTube, followed by TikTok at 67%.

is also easily searchable, and
it presents novelty and endless
content to the user.

For the user, viewing is a physically rewarding
experience because the surprise element triggers
the reward centre in the brain. Images and videos are also
he YouTube algorithm is a recommendation system more believable than words alone. The social component
that determines which videos to suggest to the user, is reflected in teens being able to connect with like-minded
Tcatering to his or her interests. It uses data generated people watching the same videos. How so? The platform
by user behaviour on the platform to match the right viewer is entertaining and, given that the COVID-19 pandemic
with the right videos that they are most likely to enjoy and isolated most people for long periods, YouTube became a
spend time watching. For this reason, teens use YouTube form of escape and connection.
and TikTok as search engines to explore their interests, find
information and pass the time. Teenagers also love the creativity of platforms such as
YouTube and TikTok; they can watch and make creative
However, the danger with any online site is the risk of users content, which they can share, and we all know how “likes”
being exposed to misinformation, violent and graphic influence their thinking and actions.
content, and of course, hate speech.
WHAT ARE THE RISKS?
WHY SO POPULAR? First and foremost, the risk is that of exposure to inappropriate
The popularity of YouTube can be attributed to children’s content, as confirmed by an investigation conducted by
love of videos and the notion that it is easier to watch Mozilla into YouTube’s recommendation system. The most
something than read something. Visual media is also better frequent categories of inappropriate content on the site were
able to convey context, content and emotion. misinformation, graphic/violent content, hate speech and
spams or scams.
YouTube content is audience-conscious, with the creator’s
intention of connecting and engaging being visible. YouTube A study found that more than 25% of the most viewed

24 • Issue 1 2023 • BLUE VALLEY NEWS