www.medialiteracycouncil.sg
What has Live Video Streaming got to do with my child?
Contributed by: Mr Chong Ee Jay
Member of Media Literacy Council
Manager of TOUCH Cyber Wellness
In this digital age, technology permeates every aspect of our
lives. Our preoccupation with mobile devices extends into
our work, entertainment and social life. Often times,
parents readily offer devices to their children as a quick fix
for boredom and restlessness. This, in turn, fuels the child’s
need to be constantly online, in order to be entertained and
to socialise. Many of them use social media even before
they reach the minimal age requirements of platforms such
as WhatsApp and Instagram, to keep up with their friends. With connectivity comes a wide
range of online risks, exacerbated by the increasing amount of time they spent on mobile
devices.
The New Frontier of Social Media – Live Video Streaming
Recent years have seen an explosion in social media video sharing services with live streaming
apps and platforms. Kickstarted in the US by apps like Periscope, Meerkat and YouNow, tech
companies such as Facebook and Google have also jumped on the bandwagon with Facebook Live
and YouTube Live, bringing online interaction and communication to a new level by connecting
people worldwide through live broadcasts of special events. In Singapore, the recent National Day
Rally was also broadcast live on social media. BIGO LIVE a made-in-Singapore app, is the latest
addition to the market. A unique feature of the app is its game-like elements, where viewers can
send gifts to the streamer, some of which are available for purchase. The gifts can be converted to
“beans” which can be cashed out for real money.
A wide range of content are broadcasted on these live video streaming apps; from live event
broadcasts and performance showcases, to rants about daily life, to the dissemination of
inappropriate messages and indecent materials. While video streaming over the Internet is
nothing new, parents should take note of the potential dangers of live streaming, especially those
that may involve young girls receiving sexually inappropriate comments or being propositioned to
remove their clothing to an online audience, and young children unwittingly oversharing private
information.
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Why Are So Many Children and Teenagers Jumping On This Bandwagon?
Social media is designed to feed the basic human need for social validation. Before the Internet
age, we fulfilled this need through physical connections within our social circle of family, school,
and workplace. Now, the boundaries are as limitless as
cyber space.
The need for social validation is often much stronger in the
formative adolescence and teenage years; many youths
may take unnecessary risks to achieve validation.
Therefore, live video streaming may be an attractive tool
for children and teenagers to do that.
What Then Can and Should Parents Do?
Here are three easy steps for parents to take, in the form of the acronym A.C.E.
A – Awareness
 Be aware that there is little control over the type of content that can be broadcast live, nor
verification of the minimum age requirements on the platforms.
 Many of the live video streaming services are dependent on community-flagging for abuses
which may take time for the administrators to react.
 Know that it is easy for children to befriend strangers on the platforms, or for strangers to
establish contact with children, including the possibility of sending sexual comments or
explicit requests. Streamers often add their other social media accounts in their profile,
which allows viewers greater access into their personal lives. Some of the streams involve
the filming of others or revealing another person’s personal data for pranking purposes,
which veers into issues of invasion of privacy or harassment.
 Be aware of the latest technological developments and the potential concerns that come
with them. This can happen through parents showing interest in the online habits of their
children, and doing research on the apps they hear their children talk about.
C – Conversations
 Have quality conversations with your children, communication is often seen by children
and teenagers as parents’ monologues without two-way conversation.
 Talk about the motivations for live streaming, and discuss what is appropriate to share or
not.
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Look for an appropriate moment and strike up a conversation with your children regarding
the results of your research.
Parents should stay open-minded to hear from their children and seek to understand from
their perspectives before sharing your concerns.
Remember, you might need to have repeated conversations with your children on just one
topic. Be patient about it. Conversations are about understanding each other better and
not trying to win an argument. We may end up winning the conversation but losing the
relationship.
E – Engage
 Set up an account and get involved! Don’t be afraid to use new technologies.
 Remember that technology is just a tool. It is possible for families to use social media
positively together.
 Parents should also not hesitate to alert the authorities if they are aware that their children
are in danger of sexual grooming, harassment, identity theft etc.
Sources
http://paulinestockhausen.com/the-dangers-of-live-streaming
http://www.teensafe.com/blog/everything-a-parent-needs-to-know-about-periscope
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