Children aged six ‘exposed to pop-up porn while viewing Peppa Pig online’
Shock claim by writer who interviewed 900 pupils in research for play
CHILDREN as young as six are being exposed to pornographic videos that ‘pop up’ while they are watching innocent cartoons online.
Hundreds of youngsters interviewed in research for a new play reported having seen the material.
About 900 children aged six and seven were spoken to by Abbey Wright for her play Why Is The Sky Blue? which explores the effect of pornography on the young through a series of verbatim interviews and songs.
She said a number of children recalled similar experiences of watching Peppa Pig online or playing computer games and suddenly being confronted with pornographic versions of the animation.
Seven-year-old Marina, one of the performers in the play, told how shocked she was when pornography suddenly appeared as she played a game. She said: ‘I was playing Subway Surfers on my sister’s phone and there was a film which was about people falling in love. They were in the swimming pool. They were naked and they were falling in love. I really didn’t like it. It was really weird.
‘Sometimes when you’re playing those things just appear – they just come on.’ Marina, who has her parents’ permission to take part in the play and to talk to the Irish Mail on Sunday, admitted the experience had put her off using the internet as much, saying: ‘I just like my colouring in.’ Ms Wright spoke to 10,000 young people aged six to 22, about their experiences of internet porn, going into schools, youth clubs and theatre groups between April last year and March this year. Describing her interviews with six and seven-year-olds, she said: ‘I would ask them what was great about the internet and were there any dangers. They would describe seeing inappropriate, naked pictures.
‘They would say these images would pop up if they were trying to download a film or play a game, sometimes when they were doing their homework.’
The cast of Why Is The Sky Blue?, which is being performed at London’s Southwark Theatre, is drawn from the same age group as those who were interviewed. Younger members wear headphones on stage so that they do not hear the more explicit material.
Computer security expert Graham Cluley told the MoS: ‘There’s a big problem with YouTube, even the YouTube Kids app designed for youngsters, showing content which is inappropriate and, in some cases, disturbing. Know what your kids are watching. Be there to stop it if something unsavoury shows up and stop it and report it.’
Mr Cluley advises parents to ensure children visit the ‘major TV streaming websites (Netflix, Amazon Video and the like). I believe they all have kid-specific areas where content will be much more carefully curated than YouTube.’
‘Know what your kids are watching’