Two daughters, ages 6 and 9.
We use Google Family Link.
They have Netflix, no YouTube (or YT Kids, as it can't be trusted). Websites are approve-only. Apps are approve-only and only premium stuff without ads and IAP. They get half hour each a day for fun, and whatever extra they need for homework.
It wasn't always like this (apart from the 30m limit). We "trusted" them, and have very open relationships and talk about everything. They talked about the searches they were doing (eg inspiration for things to draw) and always asked before installing anything.
But then one day I noticed the older one suddenly exiting YouTube when I enter the room. And she seemed sad. This was over a few days. Bit quieter, sadder, bit more skittish about what she does on her tablet.
One night when she was in bed, I took her tablet and loaded up my activity.google.com
And oh my dog, I was dumbfounded by what I saw. Videos like "boy with terminal cancer dying in front of your eyes" and worse. Searches for mermaids (initially for art inspiration) which eventually became searches for boobs, which eventually became searches for boy+girl naughty things. (Thank Christ we at least had safe search enabled, but some pencil sketches of really dodgy stuff leaked through.) And this game where you play rock/paper/scissors and the boy/girl slowly undresses (toon, but still). She also left comments on YouTube, stuff like "I love how you draw", but luckily no-one latched onto how old she me be to start grooming her.
This happened over the space of about 8 weeks, but it's very insidious, the progressively more risque things that they get exposed to.
Fck social networks, and fck their algorithms. Their niece, now 18, suffered all manner of disorders and anorexia over the years after being given free reign, by very loving parents, with very open communication.
And here we are thinking we were being safer with our few extra policies. Not anymore. It's full lockdown from now on.
They're young enough to have taken the new rules well. They can still watch their fav Netflix shows, and still get to play their favourite games (self-hosted/private Minecraft server, thank you very much), so they're happy. But it's without all the insidious dangers that even well-intentioned parents might miss.
We spoke to her very carefully and lovingly about the dodgy stuff she saw, and she said she heard about the rock/paper/scissors game in school (private school in English countryside; this shit can crop up anywhere). The videos came via ads, and suggested content. So, luckily all is well now.
We're about to talk to the school about this whole ordeal, and really want to urge everyone to take a closer look at what the little ones get up to.
It wasn't always like this (apart from the 30m limit). We "trusted" them, and have very open relationships and talk about everything. They talked about the searches they were doing (eg inspiration for things to draw) and always asked before installing anything.
But then one day I noticed the older one suddenly exiting YouTube when I enter the room. And she seemed sad. This was over a few days. Bit quieter, sadder, bit more skittish about what she does on her tablet.
One night when she was in bed, I took her tablet and loaded up my activity.google.com And oh my dog, I was dumbfounded by what I saw. Videos like "boy with terminal cancer dying in front of your eyes" and worse. Searches for mermaids (initially for art inspiration) which eventually became searches for boobs, which eventually became searches for boy+girl naughty things. (Thank Christ we at least had safe search enabled, but some pencil sketches of really dodgy stuff leaked through.) And this game where you play rock/paper/scissors and the boy/girl slowly undresses (toon, but still). She also left comments on YouTube, stuff like "I love how you draw", but luckily no-one latched onto how old she me be to start grooming her.
This happened over the space of about 8 weeks, but it's very insidious, the progressively more risque things that they get exposed to.
Fck social networks, and fck their algorithms. Their niece, now 18, suffered all manner of disorders and anorexia over the years after being given free reign, by very loving parents, with very open communication.
And here we are thinking we were being safer with our few extra policies. Not anymore. It's full lockdown from now on.
They're young enough to have taken the new rules well. They can still watch their fav Netflix shows, and still get to play their favourite games (self-hosted/private Minecraft server, thank you very much), so they're happy. But it's without all the insidious dangers that even well-intentioned parents might miss.
We spoke to her very carefully and lovingly about the dodgy stuff she saw, and she said she heard about the rock/paper/scissors game in school (private school in English countryside; this shit can crop up anywhere). The videos came via ads, and suggested content. So, luckily all is well now.
We're about to talk to the school about this whole ordeal, and really want to urge everyone to take a closer look at what the little ones get up to.