“YouTube? Shut it Down!”
Tuesday, July 31st, 2007The Professional Association of Teachers (PAT) wants YouTube to close up shop and shut down.
The PAT claims that YouTube is encouraging cyber-bullying by not immediately removing videos that the PAT claims to be inappropriate.
YouTube counters that it is but a tiny minority that break the site rules, and videos flagged by the community as inappropriate are reviewed and then removed when a violation is found.
I think that the PAT has their hearts in the right place, but they’re going about it the wrong way. Calling for the shutdown of YouTube and other similar video sites is an extreme position and they won’t get far with that attitude. They should instead encourage an active dialog with kids, parents and teachers.
For the first time in history, kids have been given a voice that can potentially travel around the globe with a few clicks. For parents, this can be a frightening thought especially for those that are unfamiliar with technology. Encouraging a public, open dialog is the best way to encourage positive use of this new technology.
Now, what to do about the food fight videos…