After surviving the Covid – 19 lockdown in 2020 and 2021, the need to describe what YouTube is is entirely pointless.
From adults to children, this app has been one of the most used apps for various purposes. Like any other social media app, it is used to share media, watch the news, and even learn a new language.
When we talk about YouTube for young children, the learning opportunities are endless. YouTube has it all. Keeping the advantages in mind, one must know that YouTube is an open platform. However, this has its own positive and negative impacts.
PROS:
- Helps in upskilling - With the guidance of videos, you can learn cooking, art and craft, dance, and even how to repair a damaged item. It is an excellent way to spend your time productively and enhance your skills.
- Fostering Creativity: Youtube has broad and diverse content that kids came across while navigating through the platform. Every time they have a problem, Youtube presents them with varied options and approaches to the same problem, thus helping them enhance their creativity and widen their perspective.
- An Academic Resource: While Youtube is a great source to acquire life skills, it is just as good for providing academic help. You can assist your child in referring to youtube for help when they get stuck in their homework. But also, make sure that you also acquaint them with the process to test the authenticity of the sources.
CONS:
- Exposure to Inappropriate ContentChildren and teenagers have innocent minds since they haven’t reached their maturity level. Getting exposed to things that are not appropriate to their age can diminish their way of thinking very early. There is no supervision of content on YouTube channels.
- Consumption of Wrong InformationYoung children are exposed to countless videos for entertainment purposes being a tool to learn new things. However, there is no surety that the information provided on these channels is accurate. Any misinformation can cause problems later.
- Creating False Projection: While we as grown-ups know that the internet is a mirage, we still fall for it. The same happens with children who get attracted to the pompous lifestyle exhibited by YouTubers. This leads to a feeling of dissatisfaction and the creation of false hopes amongst children.
The key lies in proper parental guidance. Educate your child to learn to navigate the internet safely with appropriate videos. Any social media platform can be a blessing or a hindrance in a child’s growth, but the answer isn’t to keep them away from it. It is to keep them on the right side of it.
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