The internet is increasingly awash with videos generated by artificial intelligence aimed directly at preschoolers and kindergartners. With literally hundreds of thousands of AI-generated videos to watch and plenty of lights and action to grab the attention of children under age 5, critics say the videos usually have little if any substance. They also have a name for these videos: \u201cbaby slop.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s easy to make an eight-second AI video, and we wind up with these very quick, colorful, fun things that don\u2019t really have any meaning,\u201d says Allison Bacon, coordinator of instructional technology at the Ossining Union Free School District in New York.<\/p>\n
More than mere distraction, some critics worry AI-generated content on YouTube and YouTube Kids may cause actual harm. But there are ways early childhood educators can help children navigate these videos. <\/p>\n
Problematic AI-generated videos come in many forms. Some are just seconds in length but include inappropriate content. In one video about counting and colors, for example, a school bus inexplicably bursts into flames at the 13-second mark. In other videos, inaccurate information or visuals are hallucinated by low-grade AI. Sometimes, it\u2019s just the sheer volume of unvetted AI videos populating feeds that can be concerning. One channel, Bright Tunes, has existed for less than a year but has nearly 5,500 AI-generated videos. In effect, one person can prompt AI to generate thousands of videos that young children can watch in an endless loop \u2014 none of which are educational. While some creators have good intentions, they often just want views, leading to trends like cute AI animals diving into pools. <\/p>\n
\u201cSome of the content may look educational and engaging,\u201d says Jennifer Chen, a professor of early childhood education at Kean University in Union, New Jersey. \u201cYou might not realize it unless you really look at it closely.\u201d<\/p>\n
When the words aren\u2019t quite right or when the images don\u2019t reflect reality, \u201cthat cognitive disparity is causing children to learn inaccurately,\u201d explains Keri Ewart, an associate professor of education at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario. \u201cIt is having detrimental effects on children being able to understand the difference between real and fake.\u201d <\/p>\n
Repeated viewing may also damage kids\u2019 attention spans and lead to cognitive overload. With preschool and kindergarten learners, \u201cthey\u2019re still building neurological processes. They\u2019re learning how to experience the world,\u201d instructional technology coordinator Allison Bacon says. \u201cEntertainment generated through AI to mindlessly babysit small people is inherently problematic.\u201d<\/p>\n
Teachers can address the problem by becoming ad hoc media critics, vetting everything their young students watch in the classroom. Beyond previewing videos, teachers should research the creator to gain more context. One sure sign that a YouTube channel is populated with AI-generated content is if it has a recent launch date and an outsize number of videos. Another telltale sign of AI slop includes jumbled text and misspelled words.<\/p>\n
Relying on trusted resources like Common Sense Media can help educators vet content. Also, the American Academy of Pediatrics recently released a guide for parents with a \u201cStop, Wait, Go\u201d framework that can be adapted to the classroom environment.<\/p>\n
If students do encounter suspect content, such as through unexpected advertisements, \u201cconversation needs to follow,\u201d Bacon explains. \u201cWhat did we see? What did we think? The human connection and conversation should be the main focus.\u201d<\/p>\n
Even with very young kids, teachers can build decoding skills to recognize AI-generated content. \u201cReally push the fact that we have to be thinkers and we have to be looking with that critical lens. Ask kids, \u2018What did we notice? What\u2019s good? What\u2019s different?\u2019\u201d Bacon says.<\/p>\n
\u201cBe the person who helps them understand what they are seeing,\u201d Bacon adds. \u201cIf they see an AI-generated giraffe, show them pictures of a real giraffe and ask them to describe the differences.\u201d<\/p>\n
Finally, even if one video is educationally sound or age appropriate, the algorithms may bring up more videos that could be inappropriate. \u201cNever rely on autoplay, which can be easy to do, especially if you\u2019re in the class and you\u2019re already playing something that\u2019s educational,\u201d Bacon cautions.<\/p>\n
As a preschool language teacher at the Park School in the Ossining Union Free School District and as a parent herself, Josefa Martinez understands that parents need guidance, too.<\/p>\n
She sends home weekly and monthly communications to families with best practices. \u201cI try to find websites and resources they can use at home, videos that I have personally watched and that are interactive, engaging,\u201d she says. \u201cThese sites are not just promoting a child to sit and just mindlessly watch. It\u2019s something that I can vouch for.\u201d<\/p>\n
Beyond video suggestions, Martinez provides parents with follow-up questions for their kids. If the child is watching a video about a firefighter, parents can ask, \u201cHow can a firefighter support our community?\u201d or \u201cWhat are other community helpers who have similar roles to a firefighter?\u201d If the child is watching a video about numbers on a vetted channel like Numberblocks, parents may ask, \u201cHow do you know that five is bigger than two? Can you show me by using some of your toys?\u201d or \u201cHow many ways can we make the number five?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThese questions make sure the child is actually engaged and not just sitting there mindlessly watching,\u201d Martinez says. \u201cIt all pertains to the content that I\u2019m teaching either that week or that month.\u201d<\/p>\n
Some school leaders are stepping up as well, convening parents for frank discussions about AI-generated videos. \u201cMore schools are starting to have social media nights and AI evenings where they\u2019re inviting parents to really learn how to vet these videos,\u201d education professor Keri Ewart explains.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is all fairly recent for everyone,\u201d Ewart adds. \u201cIf we\u2019re expecting our children to have digital fluency and digital literacy, particularly in the age of AI, we\u2019re going to have to expect teachers and parents to be digitally literate too.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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