Digital Smarts - Get Ready for Uptime

Have your kids been talking about Uptime? YouTube is experimenting with the idea of social viewing of videos – whether all at the same time or asynchronously – and Uptime is the platform (app) they have launched. The app allows users to react with comments or emojis while watching videos, and those reactions are then seen by anyone else who watches the same video—even if they’re watching at a later time. Although YouTubeSocial, WeMesh, LiveLead, and AirTime have taken similar approaches to co-watching, Uptime has captured the teenage market with the capability to see reactions to the videos after posting. As with any new app, parents should be diligent in watching out for the potential for it to be used as a tool for cyberbullying as well.