Kids’ Content Is Deeply Broken. A New Platform Wants to Fix It
Maka is a new streaming platform for children aged 0-6 that aims to replace hyperstimulating, AI-generated content with curated, expert-vetted programming. The service operates on a subscription model and intentionally avoids engagement-driven features like autoplay and endless scrolling.
Why it matters
The platform addresses growing parental and expert concerns regarding the impact of algorithmic content and screen time on early childhood development.
Videos targeted at children on the platform are often filled with bizarre and hyperstimulating content that’s AI generated. Not all of it is age-appropriate. These videos autoplay on endless, algorithmically curated streams punctuated by ads.
Maka, a new streaming app for kids aged 0 to 6, is positioning itself as an antidote to that concern. The platform has zero ads, doesn’t allow autoplay or endless scrolling, and its algorithms intentionally do not maximize watch time.
The company’s cofounder and chief product officer Tanyella Leta tells WIRED the platform is purposely abandoning the mechanisms that “turn children’s media into an engagement machine.”
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