Most people would agree the smart phone is a useful tool for everyday living, but it’s not until you’re stuck in a supermarket queue with a sobbing three-year-old or desperate to calm a grouchy toddler that it becomes truly invaluable.
Now YouTube plans to take advantage of this with a brand new children’s channel featuring episodes of kids classics such as Sesame Street and Thomas the Tank Engine to watch on the go.
The new app will prevent children from accessing content that might be inappropriate for younger viewers. Shimrit Ben-Yair, the project’s group product manager, said: “Parents were constantly asking us, can you make YouTube a better place for our kids.
“(Year over year) we’ve seen 50% growth in viewing time on YouTube, but for our family entertainment channels, it’s more like 200%.”
No release date has been provided for the Android-only app, although it will be officially launched on Monday at Kidscreen, the most important annual event on the entertainment industry’s calendar.