Kids’ Content Is Deeply Broken. A New Platform Wants to Fix It

Maka, a new streaming app for children aged 0 to 6, is launching with a model designed to avoid the attention-grabbing features common on other platforms. It has no adverts, autoplay or endless scrolling, and its algorithms are not designed to maximise viewing time, addressing concerns about unsuitable and low-quality children’s videos.

The service offers 25 curated shows, including *Franklin*, *The Wiggles*, *Pocoyo*, *Vida the Vet* and *Sesame Street*, for $15 a month or $107 a year. Each episode is assessed by child-development experts using Imprint, a framework developed with researchers at the Yale Child Study Center that considers seven areas of development. The article notes that a 2020 Common Sense Media study found 75 per cent of YouTube videos watched by young children had weak or no educational value.