Netflix is reportedly rolling out a new feature called Kids Clips that shows a feed of short videos a la TikTok and aims to keep children engaged. But, of course, Netflix is no stranger to the concept, and neither is it the only name in the industry to take a generous dose of inspiration from the short video phenomenon started by TikTok. Instagram famously went all-in on the rip-off strategy with its Reels, while the giant that is YouTube made something called YouTube Shorts.
Netflix was not too far behind on the short video copycat trend. A few weeks ago, the company borrowed a leaf out of TikTok's books to create its own dedicated feed of funny videos called Fast Laughs. The vertical TikTok-like feed in the Netflix app shows s short clips from films and TV shows lifted from its vast content catalog. The idea is to keep s engaged to its platform for both short bursts of entertainment and long bingeing sessions — and more importantly, away from platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube Shorts for their daily dose of short-video entertainment.
The streaming giant now has its sights set on another segment of s — children. As per a Facebook knew was happening on its platform but failed to address.
A Comparatively Safer Entertainment Hubs For Kids
Netflix already appears to have a solution here to solve that harmful 'hyper engagement' problem. Unlike the endless scrolling (or doomscrolling) problem on TikTok or other rival platforms, Kids Space will only allow its target audience to see 10 to 20 clips at a time. It is unclear if there will be a timer that resets after a fixed interval to let children watch these short videos again. There is also no clarity if Netflix will put some form of additional s in place. The likes of Snapchat and TikTok have recently paid extra attention to this aspect following concerns raised by parents as well as regulatory agencies to make their platform safer for young children. Kids Clips will be appearing in the Netflix app for iOS, but there is no information about its arrival on Android.
The idea behind creating a short video feed of videos for children is excellent on paper. The content appearing in the Kids Clips is pulled from TV shows and contents that are mostly cleared for such an audience, which means children will have a safer content consumption experience than they are likely to experience on platforms like YouTube Shorts, TikTok and Instagram Reels. Plus, it would keep them from the perils of getting in touch with strangers with bad intent on social media platforms. But at the heart of it all is engagement, and Netflix wants to make sure that it attracts an audience of young s that would otherwise turn to social media platforms for watching videos. And unlike a doomed platform like Instagram For Kids, Kids Clips has a much higher chance of success by not having a social media aspect to it but still dishing out all the 'safe' entertainment that it can offer.
Source: Bloomberg