Left, an online screen shot from “Carrie and Toys,” a popular children’s channel on YouTube in Korea, which has more than 1.3 million subscribers. Right, a scene from “Lime Tube,” another popular channel on YouTube that has close to 436,000 subscribers. [SCREEN CAPTURE OF YOUTUBE] |
That’s when “Carrie and Toys,” a children’s channel on YouTube, comes in handy.
“It’s her favorite program,” said Kim, who lives in Seongbuk District, central Seoul. “When she’s done eating, she always begs me to turn it on for her. She gets really quiet.”
The show, like any other program for youngsters, features fun games incorporating numbers and alphabets, enough to convince parents that watching too much of it might not be as bad as consuming other non-educational materials, explains Kim.
Lee Soo-jae, 6, watches “Nao Disney Toys,” a children’s channel on YouTube, at church on Jan. 15. His grandmother said she fears Lee might grow addicted to the show and get spoiled. [SHIN YE-JIN] |
“She’s on the show three hours a day,” Kim said with a sigh. “And I can’t help myself from taking away the smartphone from her because that’s the single moment she stays under control.”
Korean children are no exception from the rising popularity of YouTube, as parents often rely on smartphones to keep their kids — and even younger toddlers — company. The most popular channel currently trending in Korea, based on the number of subscribers, is “Carrie and Toys,” according to data from Social Blade, a website that tracks top ranks.
Other channels going viral here include “Heopop,” “Pinkfong,” “Toymong TV” and “Lime Tube.” Some shows grow so popular that they go on inspiring the production of musicals, or their contents are exported overseas to neighboring countries such as China.
“Children often play alone in the house and the scope of smartphone users is widely expanding to include small kids,” explained Kwon Won-sook, CEO of Carrie Soft, the producers behind “Carrie and Toys.
Kim Kyung-hoon, director of Korea Trend Research Institute, addressed the rising trend by saying young kids are turning to smartphones and YouTube because they’re able to access their favorite programs via voice recognition, which doesn’t require writing capabilities.
But not all caregivers are fond of handing their kids smartphones. Kim Hee-soo, 72, who often looks after her 6-year-old grandson, thinks that his loss of temperament was due to his addiction to YouTube.
“Children these days don’t have a sense of self-control,” laments Kim. “They just can’t stop. I tell them they can watch a show for only an hour, but they go off gluing their eyes on the phone for three more.”
In the end, she said, “I end up scolding them.”
Another problem Kim struggles with nowadays is that her grandson begs her to buy him the toys featured in the programs. Going to the store with him can get painful.
“If I let him get everything he wants, he’ll get spoiled. I’m also worried that his eyesight might deteriorate.”
Ha Jin, 39, mother of two kids – ages 7 and 8 – said she distanced herself from the YouTube trend out of fear that her kids might lose track of their real lives, and what’s more important in the real world.
“I don’t show them any online videos,” said Ha. “They need to be out experiencing nature, the world.”
With her sons learning how to read and write now, picking up foul language from strangers is another concern creeping up on Ha.
“I don’t want them to be exposed to profanity,” she said.