Whether from smartphones or computers, it’s simpler and faster than ever to film, edit and upload a video or photo to online sites and immediately let the general public access your creation. And as we note in Parenting High-Tech Kids: The Ultimate Internet, Web, and Online Safety Guide, the amount of video content that’s being uploaded and consumed every day is mind boggling. YouTube estimates that 60 hours of video are uploaded each minute and that clips receive more than three billion views a day. Many sites provide users a way to easily upload and explore user-created videos or images. Just as many applications make it easy to spread snapshots or short films on the Internet in seconds.
While videos and photos are being uploaded, and after they’re live, users often have the option to decide whether to make multimedia creations public or private. However, most programs default or encourage that videos and photos be made public so that they can be searched, while many families are usually better served by keeping their materials private.
Though kids may enjoy dreaming of becoming famous by creating the next big viral video, there are also a few video basics that all families should know. For starters, once videos are uploaded, realize that your family can lose all control of who sees footage and when they view it. Video sharing sites have made it easier than ever to share and embed content on social media profiles and web sites as well, so if a video spreads like wildfire for the wrong reasons, it will be impossible to contain the damage. Additionally, many kids love posting videos of themselves doing dangerous or unwise things. And it’s actually part of a college recruiter or employer’s job to try and discover these missteps as part of their due diligence when considering prospective recruits and applications. So even though it may seem like harmless fun, teach your kids about potential pitfalls here, and discuss whether it’s really worth it to jeopardize their future for a few dumb laughs now.
To learn how to deal with the hazards associated with online video and photo upload sites, and make the most of them, also be sure to check out Parenting High-Tech Kids: The Ultimate Internet, Web, and Online Safety Guide.
Keenly-attuned to fashion, travel, and nightlife trends, assistant editor T.T.’s encyclopedic knowledge of bars and restaurants remains unrivaled – and her word is gospel when it comes to Sunday brunch. Our resident trivia night expert and staff humorist, she’s only been banned from one karaoke joint (that we know about). Also: Dog is her co-pilot.
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