Google video, Yahoo video, MySpace, YouTube… video-sharing sites are the hottest things online. And, I will admit, if someone says, “Did you see that 7-foot tall man squeeze himself into a oven?” I run to one of the aforementioned sites to see it for myself. If you have ever visited a video-sharing site you know that people post everything from pet tricks to outtakes from news programs on them. And, while these sites can be the venue of choice for people to share some very hilarious G-rated moments, they are also the sites of choice for some to post nudity, gore, and violent acts.
That is the point of this blog: A warning to parents—your child may be online to look at a mentos and coke explosion one moment and next thing you know they are watching a bloody fight between teens caught by someone’s cell phone. Inappropriate material can show up at anytime. Anything from graphic sex to violent school fights. The fact is, what makes these sites so good is what also makes them potentially dangerous–anyone can put up a video, any kind of video.
If you research these sites you will find that YouTube requires customers to agree: “not to submit unlawful or inappropriate material.” It also asks visitors to alert them to offensive content. The company also says it hires people to scour the site for offensive material, but adds, there’s just too much uploaded every day to keep up with. YouTube has hundreds of thousands of clips uploaded, every week.
As for Yahoo’s site, the company does offer filtering technology for parents. But, don’t let that lull you into a false sense of security. Experts say filtering technology isn’t advanced enough to block everything you’d want it do. It’s really up to you to get involved and keep your kids safe. Also, you should be aware that while some of the sites do have areas declared “adult,” all you have to do to view them is click a box declaring you’re 18 or older. There’s no age verification.