What Parents Need to Know as Kids Programming Label Pocket.watch Expands
By Movieguide® Contributor
Kids content label Pocket.watch has distributed on YouTube since its founding in 2018, but now it is expanding its reach, joining the content libraries of Hulu, Peacock and Amazon Kids+.
Having built a kids content empire through partnerships with 53 YouTube creators, in total, those working with Pocket.watch combine for 1.2 billion subscribers and 855 billion lifetime views. These names are some of the largest in the world when it comes to kids content, such as Ryan’s World; Love, Diana; Dan Rhodes; and Daniel LaBelle.
“We have a rigorous vetting process for identifying creators and curating their content, ensuring it meets the highest standards for kids’ safety,” said Pocket.watch CEO and founder Chris Williams. “We focus on YouTube creators because, as the only platform with specific accommodations for under 13 audiences, YouTube is the clear leader with kids in terms of both viewership and monetization.”
While the majority of the content available through the label is truly safe for kids, unfortunately, Pocket.watch believes LGBTQ+ programming is safe for kids, working with a bisexual YouTuber in 2021 to create a short musical about a young lesbian princess.
“[The musical] will speak to LGBTQ identity issues for kids,” the company said in 2021. “Lilly will be an eloquent and articulate spokesperson for that.”
READ MORE: WHY YOUR FAMILY DOESN’T NEED TO CONSUME SOMETHING JUST BECAUSE IT’S MARKETED TO CHILDREN
While there are programming issues at Pocket.watch, in general, most of its content is safe for children. This is especially important as it transitions onto streaming platforms, as the content available on these sites is oftentimes worse than what is available on YouTube. Nonetheless, it is important for parents to teach their children how to discern if the content they are consuming is edifying and teaching them good principles. Furthermore, parents need to be aware of the content their children are watching and stay vigilant about the lessons being taught.
To their credit, Pocket.watch does attempt to keep parents in the know, reaching out on social media to promote their shows.
“We use [Instagram] Reels and TikTok primarily as a promotional tool to reach parents as they are not legally approved for use by kids under 13 the way YouTube is,” Williams said. “We’re optimistic about the platforms’ future if government, legal compliance and strong kids safety measures are introduced. Meanwhile, YouTube Shorts continues to emerge as a powerful space for creator engagement and kid-safe content, with growing opportunities, especially as we see shifts in global markets like India, where Shorts fills the void left by TikTok.”
READ MORE: HOW GEN ALPHA IS CHANGING THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY
- Content: +3Share:
- Content: +1