DISCLAIMER: Sometimes when Sierra is upset in the car I let her watch YouTube videos. GUILTY AS CHARGED. If letting her watch the Sticky, Sticky, Sticky Bubble Gum, The Bus Song or The Duck Song (her three favorites) once in awhile means not having a screaming toddler while in bumper to bumper Boston morning traffic then so be it. ANYWAYYYY...
So something I've noticed a lot is how un-targeted the ads are. What makes YouTube think that someone who wants to watch "The Bus Song" 4x in a row wants to see an advertisement for Shock Top Beer? It's gotten to the point where I don't think YouTube is even an OK thing to let her watch these videos on. I've seen ads for sexual and violent movies, Trojan condoms and this morning the beer. Google is normally pretty on-point with their targeted ads (for example I always get ones for soccer, portuguese themed t-shirts and tattoos) but the Google-owned YouTube just doesn't seem to get the same ad-targeting functionality. I'm not mad about this by the way, lets make that clear, it's my job as a parent to make sure my child isn't seeing things we deem inappropriate. This post is just a simple observation about the disservice they are doing to their advertisers. If they advertised "Baby Alive" or Cookie Monster Pajamas before these videos they'd probably have better luck getting my money. Sierra isn't begging me for orange flavored beer any time soon (I hope). Anyone else notice this??
Ever meet one of those weird parents who doesn't allow their child to watch TV? Thats me. Yes I am one of those weirdo's who hates Elmo and Dora and avoids television at all costs. Family, friends and just about everyone thinks it's weird even though a team of doctors and experts on the subject agree with me.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that children under 2 years old not watchanyTV and that those older than 2 watch no more than 1 to 2 hours a day of quality programming.
Sierra has never watched television - ever. She might have accidentally stolen glances from time to time but we've never sat down to watch TV. Even I, as a full grown adult only watches about 2 hours of television a week (I watch Premier League Football Saturday mornings, sue me). This is for a variety of reasons; the first 2 years of life are considered a critical time for brain development. TV and other electronic media can get in the way of exploring, playing, and interacting with parents and others, which encourages learning and healthy physical and social development. TV Interferes with the development of intelligence, thinking skills and imagination. If that doesn't sound bad enough children under 3 who have been exposed to television are at a much higher risk for developing ADHD. Most children's programs last about 7 minutes before a commercial and your child's young moldable brain actually becomes wired for 7 minutes of attention! (Read the Study Here). I'm sure not every kid who watches TV at a young age becomes an overweight, unimaginative little nit-wit but why take the risk? Is The Backyardigans really worth it? I won't even get into the disgusting marketing that the networks, programs and commercials push onto your child, thats a whole different blog post.
Now, I am not saying people who allow their toddlers to tune in are bad parents, it's a personal decision my family has made based on careful research and proven information from experts we trust. We do own a television, but we have been discussing getting rid of it entirely, thoughts? If anyone disagrees and thinks TV has helped their child please chime in. I am not claiming to be an expert - only claiming that I trust experts. -Craig
