Most parents believe Youtube Kids is safe for their young ones since the platform provides appropriate content for all ages, but one mom was shocked to see a suicide instruction video.
Free Hess, a Florida mother said she has found clips on YouTube and YouTube Kids that gave children instructions on how to kill themselves. Hess said that the video where a man was demonstrating how to cut the wrists was played in between an animated video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RVcC7iqSRY
She also reported the video and asked others to do so too. A week later, the video was removed from all Youtube platforms but have re-appeared, much to the shock of Hess. Once again, she and her friends campaigned and got the video removed.
Hess has been blogging about the video on parenting websites and raising awareness. She said although Youtube Kids might appear safe, parents still needed to keep an eye on what their kids watch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ej4qtsR1Ic
“It makes me angry and sad and frustrated. I'm a pediatrician, and I'm seeing more and more kids coming in with self-harm and suicide attempts,” Hess told CNN, adding that she believed social media platforms played a huge role.
She also said that Youtube and Google needed to pay more attention to such content and remove, although she would continue to campaign against ‘offensive’ content.
According to Jason Foundation, suicide is the second leading cause of deaths in the United States among people aged 12-18.
Free Hess, a Florida mother said she has found clips on YouTube and YouTube Kids that gave children instructions on how to kill themselves. Hess said that the video where a man was demonstrating how to cut the wrists was played in between an animated video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RVcC7iqSRY
She also reported the video and asked others to do so too. A week later, the video was removed from all Youtube platforms but have re-appeared, much to the shock of Hess. Once again, she and her friends campaigned and got the video removed.
Hess has been blogging about the video on parenting websites and raising awareness. She said although Youtube Kids might appear safe, parents still needed to keep an eye on what their kids watch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ej4qtsR1Ic
“It makes me angry and sad and frustrated. I'm a pediatrician, and I'm seeing more and more kids coming in with self-harm and suicide attempts,” Hess told CNN, adding that she believed social media platforms played a huge role.
She also said that Youtube and Google needed to pay more attention to such content and remove, although she would continue to campaign against ‘offensive’ content.
According to Jason Foundation, suicide is the second leading cause of deaths in the United States among people aged 12-18.