Controversy Over Elementary School YouTuber Defending Jodusun
Expert: "Harm Caused by Competitive Society"
Recently, an elementary school YouTuber has sparked controversy by claiming to be the 'son of Jo Doo-soon.' Photo by YouTube screen capture.
[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] "People who curse Jo Doo-soon should think before they speak."
Child sex offender Jo Doo-soon (68) is scheduled to be released next month on the 13th, and recently, an elementary school student YouTuber has sparked controversy by claiming to be "Jo Doo-soon's son." Although Jo Doo-soon is known to have no children, this YouTuber not only introduces himself as "Jo Doo-soon's son" but also does not hesitate to make statements defending him.
Viewers are raising critical voices, saying it is inappropriate to defend Jo Doo-soon, who committed heinous sex crimes, just to increase video views. Experts pointed out that the competition among YouTubers has intensified, leading them to seek more provocative content.
Recently, a video titled "I am Jo Doo-soon's son. Don't mess with my dad" was uploaded on YouTube. In the video, the YouTuber said, "If you mess with Jo Doo-soon, I will shoot you all with a gun," adding, "Now that Jo Doo-soon is being released, it is okay to interview him, but do not insult or hit him."
This YouTuber, known to be an elementary school student, included the phrase "Long live Jo Doo-soon" on the video thumbnail and wrote in the video description, "If anyone at Ansan Police Station in December dares to mess with Jo Doo-soon, I will find out and shoot them all with a gun." The video surpassed 38,000 views in two weeks due to its provocative title and content.
YouTubers produce provocative content because it is linked to advertising revenue. YouTube places ads before, during, or after videos in various ways.
Although ad revenue varies depending on video length and audience size, most Korean YouTubers, except for some top creators, earn less than $1 (about 1,100 KRW) per 1,000 views. In other words, as video views increase, YouTubers' earnings naturally increase as well.
Especially since YouTube can be started without significant costs, some elementary school students show high interest in YouTube. According to the "Status Survey on Elementary and Secondary Career Education" released last year by the Ministry of Education and the Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education & Training, "creator (content creator)," including YouTubers, ranked third among elementary students' desired future occupations.
In fact, searching "elementary school student YouTuber" on YouTube easily finds child YouTubers posting vlogs of their daily lives or beauty-related videos introducing makeup techniques. Among them, many have over 100,000 subscribers.
Some point out that child YouTubers, like some adult YouTubers, may post provocative videos to increase views.
A member of a mom caf? said, "YouTube is a platform easily accessible to children, and many infants and toddlers watch it as well. Nowadays, children sometimes post provocative content for money. This is not just a problem for children. Adults should reflect first and properly discipline their children."
In 2018, "mom prank (hidden camera)" videos centered around some elementary school YouTubers became popular and controversial. These videos secretly filmed their mothers' private moments, and some child YouTubers at the time were criticized for secretly filming their mothers changing clothes. Some of these videos exceeded 100,000 views.
As a result, some parents worry that YouTube may negatively affect their young children's education.
A mom caf? member said, "My kids ask for my phone to watch YouTube as soon as they open their eyes. I try my best not to show it, but fighting with them every day is exhausting, and since they can't go outside due to COVID-19, I can't just forbid them from watching it." She added, "What good comes from watching YouTube? I'm very worried because many kids seem to be learning bad language from YouTube these days."
Experts analyze that competition in the YouTube market has intensified, leading YouTubers to seek more provocative content.
Professor Kwak Geum-ju of Seoul National University's Department of Psychology said, "YouTubers feel satisfaction and pleasure as their views increase, which can lead to the illusion that they have become great people. Also, as the number of YouTubers increases, more people try to find unique content different from others. In trying to increase views, YouTubers push themselves to create content that others have not done."
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