Pre-schoolers and YouTube/Kids: what do they watch and what are the concerns?

YouTube/Kids is now the most watched form of media worldwide for 3 and 4 year old children, with 90% of this age group in the UK accessing videos every week. The ability to choose what to watch, when to watch it and to see endless suggested videos of similar content has all but eclipsed the traditional model of carefully curated children’s television on terrestrial channels. One of the most significant aspects of this shift is the fact that pre-schoolers are not only limited to being consumers of YT/K but increasingly, are also producers of digital content. The number of child-user generated videos continues to grow in popularity and number. These include toy unboxing, arts and crafts tutorials, pranks, baking, science experiments and ‘Let’s Play’ videos presented by young children, also called ‘micro-celebrities’ or ‘kid-fluencers’. Preschoolers are also an integral part of numerous YouTube families who create regular content on their children’s lives which is usually commercially sponsored.

So, what do 3 and 4 year olds like to watch?