Designing Child-Centered Content Exposure and Moderation
Belén Saldías
TL;DR
The paper addresses how opaque algorithms and moderation policies shape children's online content exposure and development. It proposes a child-centered, family-guided moderation framework grounded in value-sensitive design, accountability, privacy, and children's online citizenship. Key contributions include a sociotechnical analysis of exposure types and a design proposal for value-aware moderation with human-in-the-loop controls and intelligible rationales. The work aims to guide designers and researchers toward safer, more agency-preserving online experiences for children in the presence of sophisticated AI agents.
Abstract
Research on children's online experience and computer interaction often overlooks the relationship children have with hidden algorithms that control the content they encounter. Furthermore, it is not only about how children interact with targeted content but also how their development and agency are largely affected by these. By engaging with the body of literature at the intersection of i) human-centered design approaches, ii) exclusion and discrimination in A.I., iii) privacy, transparency, and accountability, and iv) children's online citizenship, this article dives into the question of "How can we approach the design of a child-centered moderation process to (1) include aspects that families value for their children and (2) provide explanations for content appropriateness and removal so that we can scale (according to systems and human needs) the moderation process assisted by A.I.?". This article contributes a sociotechnical highlight of core challenges and opportunities of designing child-centered content control tools. The article concludes by grounding and characterizing design considerations for a child-centered, family-guided moderation system. We hope this work serves as a stepping stone for designers and researchers pursuing children's safety online with an eye on hidden agents controlling children's online experiences and, by extension, the values and opportunities children are exposed to.