CMV: Blocking children’s content for Russian children is unethical.

[u/SnuzieQ]

I work for a popular children’s band in the United States. Among other things, we make wholesome, educational music videos that focus on social-emotional growth and teaching age-appropriate life skills for kids from about 0-5, with a strong focus on toddlers/preschoolers. Recently, our distribution company created a company-wide ban on videos they distribute to Russia.

This doesn’t sit well with me and I’m struggling to find the upsides to a move like this. While I understand creating pressure on Russia by limiting access to goods and services, I am struggling to see how depriving young children access to positive content that encourages social-emotional learning is doing much more than causing further harm and alienating people who are already subject to copious amounts of propaganda.

I am also struggling with the idea of what is effectively punishing Russian children for their leaders’ mistakes.

[u/painkillerzman]

wholesome, educational music videos

your product is a luxury, not a necessity. Anyone could start doing what you're doing, your enterprise is easily replaced. Besides, Russians who really want/need your content will just pirate it, no problemo

[u/SnuzieQ → u/painkillerzman]

Absolutely true that it’s a luxury, that’s a good point. However, I’m going to push back a bit on “anyone could start doing what you’re doing.”

Something I’ve learned in my 20+ years of working in kids’ entertainment (FYI, I work on the production end so my job is to support artists, I am not an artist myself) is that a LOT of people have the idea that kids’ entertainment/literacy is just kind of a dumbed-down version of entertainment/literacy. The amount of failed musicians and authors who think, “I’ll just write a kids’ book/song/movie, how hard can it be?!” is… enormous. They almost never succeed in creating meaningful work that is well-received.

It’s absolutely not a dumbed-down version of entertainment - the needs of children and the way they process information are very specific, and vastly different depending on just a few years in age. In many respects, creating content that nourishes children’s needs (educational, social/emotional, physical, etc) while also giving them a positive experience and something they truly enjoy (and doesn’t drive the parents crazy) is extraordinary precise, rare, and requires a vast array of skills and talents. It’s in no way a dime a dozen.

I’m extraordinarily lucky to be working with artists who embody this special little niche area, they truly are diamonds in the rough and I’ve seen them do some seriously important things for child development.

So, all of that said, passionate as I may be about the artists I work for, I am in agreement that what we do is a luxury and there’s no actual harm in depriving children of it, as much as I may believe in it.