Online Video for Children October 16th, 2009
Tom Amontree

The surge in online video and its widely varying audiences extends to children, who are tuning in to video-driven sites in droves.  How can you help kids navigate the broadband universe, and ensure they’re watching what you want them to?

A recent New York Times article provides a step-by-step guide to filtering the content your kids watch on YouTube.  The site, which actually has a policy prohibiting children under 13, features a safety center with more information too.  Or, you can direct your young ones to kid-friendly sites that are already filtered.  ZuiTube.com features a library of 60,000 videos, the content on Totlol.com is customizable to your child’s age, and TV Guide’s website lists nearly 900 episodes of online children’s programs.

The nation’s broadband providers are also undertaking initiatives to keep kids safe online.  Verizon’s Family Center offers a wealth of educational materials and tools to help parents manage their children’s online activities.  Plus, Verizon’s partnership with i-SAFE reaches out to tens of thousands of kids through in-school safety events.  Meanwhile, AT&T’s Smart Limits enables parents to set their own rules that control access to specific services.  And AT&T, in partnership with iKeepSafe, also recently launched an online safety educational program expected to reach more than 5 million children.

From learning how to carve a pumpkin to picking up math skills, broadband is powering creative content for kids that is both entertaining and educational.  And, in keeping with the open, consumer-controlled experience the Internet provides, this abundant content is customizable to consumers’ needs.

This entry was posted on Friday, October 16th, 2009 at 9:17 am and is filed under Benefits of Broadband. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.