Short video clips have been popular on the internet since the dawn of Vine in January 2013. The app quickly grew in popularity because it was the first of its kind. It allowed users to access short, funny video clips at any moment in time. Soon after, Musical.ly was released, letting users create videos with music or funny background sounds. In 2018 the previously unpopular TikTok app merged with Musical.ly and became a global sensation. 

During the Covid-19 pandemic, apps like TikTok and Instagram let people stay connected. Seeing this opportunity, YouTube decided to create its own version of reels, called YouTube Shorts in September 2020. YouTube shorts, similarly to the others, became very popular.

However, in the last few years, shorts have become more and more popular with younger audiences. This is likely because children under thirteen are typically not allowed to use other forms of social media, and because the videos are short and provide quick entertainment. Kids see YouTube Shorts as a great place to connect and learn new things, they are unaware of false information spread on the internet. The issue with this is that depending on what videos a child interacts with, they may be subject to discovering inappropriate content. Unless special controls are put on the app, YouTube Shorts can expose viewers to violence, strong language, nudity, misinformation, bullying, and more. Scrolling through so many short videos can also affect a child’s attention span, making it harder for them to focus on longer tasks. With so much information, visuals, and sound being presented it is easy for children to get overstimulated. 

The trends on YouTube shorts that are often targeted toward children include pranks, gaming, and “woke” activities that may expose a family to unwanted ideologies. Many of these videos include heavy sexual undertones that may lead children to innocently sexualize people and things in their own lives. This “woke” content inspires kids to define themselves with sexualities and identities early on, without much research or thought put in. 

YouTube Shorts are, like every other form of media, meant to entertain. There is no certainty that young viewers will come across inappropriate content, but it is possible. The content a child watches should be monitored by an adult to protect them from dark topics until they are mature enough to understand right from wrong and true from false.