Is Twitch Safe For Kids? (Podcast)
What is Twitch App?
Twitch is a live streaming app, owned by Amazon. It has escalated in popularity in a few years’ time. The average number of daily users and watchers can be estimated at 27 million.
The coronavirus pandemic plays a significant role in its increased popularity. Lockdown forces many to seek out entertainment and live streaming interaction.
This app was created for gamers and others to watch games being played. It allowed watchers to give live commentary on the games their watch.
Nowadays, you can watch anything streamed live on Twitch and it became difficult to filter the content and monitor all of it. Thereby we frequently get the question, is twitch safe for kids?
Twitch recently intensifies its security efforts in monitoring unwanted content. However, some slip through and go unchecked.
Now, the question remains if Twitch is safe for kids with all the issues that need to be dealt with. There’s a free version and a paid one to subscribe to.
Users of the paid version get more features and the ads are removed. More storage and badges are also available for users of the paid version.
Subscriptions for your favourite streamers’ channels are possible. You also can donate or send greetings which can be purchased through bits. These bits are available through sites such as Amazon, Paypal, or Apple.
What Attract Kids To Twitch?
- The lifestreaming: Watching live experiences online or on TV is exciting for kids. Even though parents won’t understand what is so entertaining about it.
- It is an interactive community: Chat function allows kids to interact with the gamers and people catching their interest and those doing what interests them.
- Esports competitions broadcasts: It allows kids to watch the competitions and Twitch broadcast most by live streaming.
- Educational: Just like you can learn things through watching how it’s done. These games allow kids to learn something.
- Content creators can make money through Twitch: Even though it takes time to gather a following, it’s possible to earn money through Twitch.
Is Twitch Safe For Kids?
- Adult content is too easily accessible: Twitch’s unconstrained nature makes filtering difficult, like in most live-streaming platforms. Unsuitable content may occur at any time, while adult suitable languages are common. Hate speech and cyberbullying can also occur and those are under harsh scrutiny.
- Predators can easily access the site: They can type messages into a chat window visible to streamers or viewers. Direct messages are also possible and are not visible for all to see.
- Big money spending temptation: Temptations are high and can tempt your child to spend money on all nonsense. There are a lot of ways on Twitch to waste money. It is advisable to take precautions and watch your kids’ spending.
- Twitch can give a lot of fun for the kids, but as it has easy access to adult content. Chat Feature is available so any scammer can approach your kid. As twitch has no parental control option, this makes it too risky for younger users. Therefore, twitch is not safe for kids.
How To Make Twitch Safer For Your Child?
- Watch the live streams with them: Twitch terms of service said only gamers in the age group 13 and older are allowed, those under 18 should have parental supervision. To supervise them is the best way to know what your child favours and subscribes to.
- Mature content- click uninterested: Twitch checks the activities you watch and create recommendations for other channels. While you watch the content with them, inform AI what is inappropriate and not advisable for the kid to watch.
- Create an under 18 account: It’s highly recommended that you never use a real name and birth date for your underage kids. The under 18 accounts will help to filter out sexual and flagged content. Twitch always warns under 18 viewers about channels that have inappropriate content.
- Never allow private DM`s by blocking “Whispers:” Go to “settings,” clock on Privacy and Security, then you block “whispers.” Inform your kids about the dangers of online predators.
- Never share personal information or block those who ask: Click on the person’s name, to block him or her and report it. Inform and teach your children never to divulge their private information online.
- Set limits on screen time and use parental control: Set these limits and prevent your kids from watching too much as it goes on right through the night and day.
- Never allow your bank account access to your child: Never, ever, or you may end up regretting and crying.
Conclusions
Lifestreaming can be a lot of fun for kids, but heed the saying that says fun can only be as long as your middle-fingers length. Adult content, the easily accessible chat features can make it risky for young viewers.
To set up safety features is really important and highly advisable for parents to get involved and set those perks. So if you ask us that, is twitch safe for kids?, our answer will be “NO”. Twitch is not safe for the kids, however, the risk of being your child a victim can be minimized by following the precautions mentioned above.
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