18 CONTENT FOR KIDS Video at Home
Having higher-quality materials helps parents with homeschooling, freeing up parents to focus on their day jobs for a few hours, secure in the knowledge their offspring are entertained and educated. “Parents really appreciate having something that is inspiring and slightly educational that their kids can sit in front of while they get on with their work,” Falafel says. “I’ve heard some parents can get up to three hours peace and quiet out of each episode.” That’s key, as research from the UK’s Institute for Fiscal Studies also suggests that children with wealthier parents are more likely to be in schools offering online classes than their less well off counterparts. Indeed, two thirds of students in the richest households have active help from schools, including online video classes, versus 47% for the poorest
QUALITY OVER QUANTITY But it isn’t easy sorting quality content from the dross. “My key concern is how are parents and children going to find it,” says Sonia Livingstone, professor of social psychology at the London School of Economics and co-author of Parenting for a Digital Future . “How are they to know what’s good? I’ve interviewed many parents who say they don’t know where to look.”
PIRATE PARROT AND IRATE CARROT A still taken from episode 9 of Art Club with Olaf Falafel, a YouTube art series for children
fifth of families, IFS says. That means families who are less well off financially may be more dependent on sourcing free, quality content, meaning many turn to YouTube, though alternatives such as Khan Academy Kids and TED-Ed do exist.
ARE THERE ALGORITHMIC WAYS OF PROMOTING CONTENT TO FAMILIES – UPRANKING EXCITING, CHALLENGING, STIMULATING CONTENT – OR ARE THEY JUST GOING TO LET IT FLOWAS IT DOES NOW?
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