Double-edged sword of voice activated internet searches
My daughter was born about the same time the iPad was introduced. The now pervasive technology has made touch access commonplace. Voice activation has also come a long way and combined with touch, children even with the most basic of reading skills can access an ocean of content from the internet. So much knowledge at their fingertips; yet so much may be inappropriate. I get very nervous that an erroneous step on this digital thin ice, would plunge her into a dark world of offensive, violent and illegal material that cannot be unseen or unheard.
It’s one thing to ask Siri or Cortana about the weather or conjure children videos from YouTube, but it’s entirely different when questionable content is just as easily accessed through a couple of spoken words. My concerns have to do with two things that are beyond my control: what content are accessible by my child’s voice and what type of personalization algorithms are used to expose my child to related content she didn’t ask for. For the time being, my child only asks YouTube for videos she’s familiar with. She doesn’t know to ask for videos about Russian dash cams or other content, while not entirely offensive, but still not appropriate for a second grader. There’s also the slippery slope of watching content geared toward older children or teenagers containing more mature material. Content that requires me to have conversations we are not yet ready.
My concerns have to do with two things that are beyond my control: what content are accessible by a child’s voice and what type of personalization algorithms are used to expose my child to related content she didn’t ask for.
Alarmed I am not, but certainly concerned. While I can use technology to be vanguards of technology itself by using filters and installing parental controls, but I still need to be vigilant. If you use net filtering software, you’ll need to update it as you would a virus checker. You may even want to install router based software for the whole house, rather than device by device. As I have written previously, the length of time a child has access to phones and tablets are less of a concern than the content they access. This means periodically watching videos with them and reviewing their search histories are still the best approaches. As always, communications with your child is essential.
When you’re not able to sit with them, teach them not to rely on the internet as an absolutely authority. For example, maps have been known to make mistakes (we’ve been steered into a location that doesn’t exist). And never participate in any interactive discussions, forums or groups. At this age, there is absolutely no reason for a child to make contact with people for any reasons over the internet.
And while you’re at it, make sure that all voice monitoring devices are off and put away when not in use. Talking dolls and smart TVs have been raising concerns about privacy risks. We live in a time where security cameras can be hacked. It’s not a stretch to believe that phones, surveillance systems and even cars with audio and video recording capability can be hijacked for unscrupulous purposes. Stay vigilant.