YouTube's cofounder said he's wary of his kids spending too much time on short videos

YouTube’s cofounder and former tech boss doesn’t want his kids to watch short videos, warning short-form content ‘equates to shorter attention spans’

YouTube cofounder Steve Chen is the latest tech trailblazer to warn against social media’s impact on kids. Chen warned in a recently published talk that short-form video “equates to shorter attention spans” and said he wouldn’t want his own kids to exclusively consume this type of content. Companies that distribute short-form video (which includes the company he cofounded, YouTube) should add safeguards for younger users, he added. A YouTube cof…

YouTube's cofounder said he's wary of his kids spending too much time on short videos

YouTube's cofounder says he doesn't want his kids doomscrolling on short-form content.Jorge Gil/Europa Press via Getty ImagesYouTube cofounder Steve Chen said he is wary of short-form video platforms like TikTok for children.Chen said he is worried about short videos affecting children's attention spans.Sam Altman and Jonathan Haidt echoed concerns about social media's impact on youth.YouTube's cofounder and former tech chief says he doesn't wan…

Short Videos as Digital Folklore

Video explosion. In North America today, short videos account for nearly 80% of all mobile traffic. Image Credit: David Espejo/Getty ImagesShort videos—from TikToks to Instagram reels to YouTube clips—have become a new digital obsession. Statistics show that short videos account for nearly 80% of all mobile traffic in North America. Even on originally conversational platforms, like Facebook, video viewing has come to account for more than half o…