How do you protect children from problematic thumbnails on video platforms?

How do you protect children from problematic thumbnails on video platforms?

The importance of clarification about click bait for children on the Internet

The excessive use of significant by thumbnails on video platforms is an urgent problem for children. According to a US study, children are often confronted with problematic and strongly attention-grown proposals to arouse their curiosity. But how can parents and beneficiaries protect their children from it?

The irritation through content for adults

children are often fascinated by content that is actually intended for an older target group. Although there are special children's versions of video platforms, they are quickly considered less interesting. Instead, creepy, disturbing or more bizarre content attract the children's attention, as the media scientist Christian Schicha from the University of Erlangen confirms.

The US study, published in the journal "Jama", shows that children are confronted with dramatic or gender stereotypical motifs by thumbnails. It becomes clear that children on video platforms can easily get access to content that they could disturb or frighten. Nevertheless, the effects on the behavior and mental health of the children were not examined in more detail.

The influence of thumbnails on the thinking of children

According to the youth protection expert Thull, the numerous thumbnails can influence the thinking of the children, e.g. by believing that appearance is important for social recognition or that it is okay to look at accident videos because they are so easily available. It is emphasized that children are often difficult to protect against these problematic content, since thumbnails are inevitably visible, even if the video itself is not viewed.

preventive measures and media education

experts recommend that children to educate children about the effect of thumbnails and convey media literacy. It is important to build an open relationship with the children, talk to them about potentially disturbing images and to explain to them how the consumption of such content can affect their mental health. Measures such as the ban on problematic thumbnails are often not feasible, so the focus is on the clarification and upbringing of children in dealing with such content.

- Nag