YouTube has become a popular platform for children especially for toddlers given the wide variety of content available for their entertainment. Whereas the content of the videos is fit for children, the advertisements that pop up are not.
Three-year-old Sneha was watching a music video when an advertisement of women making objectionable gestured popped up on the screen. The obviously baffled child reached out to her father asking why the “aunties” were there on the screen when she hadn’t called them.
Many parents have complained of these adverts popping up and experts are of the view, that the mature content that a child is faced with during the formative years can leave a lasting impact and not a positive one.
Those working with children rights say that the situation calls for a guideline regarding the advertisements but since YouTube doesn’t have offices here in Bangladesh there is no scope to lodge complaints or hold anyone accountable.
Save the Children Rights Governance and Child Protection sector Director Abdullah Al Mamun said that a separate cluster can be set for children where no mature content will be included and the advertisements must also be relevant.
“A guideline as well as determining the screen-time for children is very important. If we can do this, then the children can be shielded from these mature contents,” he said.
He added that if indeed the companies allow advertisements to generate revenue then they must ensure that they must be child-friendly.
Echoing Mamun on the lack of guideline in this regard, Facebook and Google community developer Arif Nizami said, “There is a YouTube kids version abroad which we don’t have here and hence the difference.”
Responding to queries on how to stop these advertisements, he said, “There are some options in the app to deal with it.”
Rights activist Gowhar Nayeem Wara says that exposure to Facebook and YouTube is harmful to the development of children.
“It’s better to keep children away from electronic devices,” he told Bangla Tribune.
Saying that both parents and children get only a few hours at hand after finishing their respective work and studies, he added, “It’s important that they communicate within that time. Otherwise, there is always a risk of children feeling disconnected.”
“Why would an advertisement for birth control pills pop up during a children’s program? It’s easy to regulate this,” Wara said.
He added that news of violence shouldn’t be aired in television tickers during children’s show and there should be a clear guideline regarding this.