[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” da_disable_devices=”off|off|off” global_colors_info=”{}” da_is_popup=”off” da_exit_intent=”off” da_has_close=”on” da_alt_close=”off” da_dark_close=”off” da_not_modal=”on” da_is_singular=”off” da_with_loader=”off” da_has_shadow=”on”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
Who\u2019s writing this article? A person? A robot? A machine trained to predict what the next best word might be? So much of the internet is now not as it seems – in fact, some estimates suggest that nearly one-third of all internet traffic <\/span>comes from bots<\/span><\/a>. This means <\/span>you\u2019re right to question who\u2019s tapping away behind the screen<\/b>, or who\u2019s holding the camera. Much of the online world as we now know it is fake.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Filling up feeds and generating yet another layer of internet noise is a new category of digital content, designed to hold attention, generate engagement, and take up space as we scroll. <\/span>AI slop, crowned the 2025 \u201cword of the year\u201d by Merriam-Webster, can now be spotted everywhere<\/b>, spamming TikTok scrolls, X accounts, and YouTube video after video. Not quite the entertaining or educational experience we\u2019d like the internet to be for our kids.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n It might seem harmless, if not just a bit annoying – but there are several ways AI slop spells trouble. Let\u2019s take a look at <\/span>how low-quality AI content affects kids\u2019 scrolls, their attention, and how they see the world<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n According to the dictionary definition, <\/span>AI slop is low-quality digital content, mostly created in large quantities with the \u201chelp\u201d of artificial intelligence.<\/b> This type of content feels just like it sounds – \u201cslop\u201d. Unpleasant, wasteful, and exactly what you wouldn\u2019t want to see circulating in your feed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n It can be hard to put your finger on exactly what that looks like, especially as <\/span>AI slop can just be plain<\/b> weird<\/i><\/b> – <\/span><\/i>you\u2019d never imagine the scenarios or images it spits out in your wildest dreams. Soap operas featuring cats in high heels, woodland animals playing ding dong ditch at night, and interviews with 1-year-olds experiencing their first vacation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Kids can easily come across videos like this in their feeds, and <\/span>sometimes their obvious silliness or wackiness is what makes them more shareable<\/b>. Take the <\/span>Italian brainrot trend<\/span><\/a> that swept YouTube Shorts and playgrounds around the world, where sharks wearing sneakers and a cup of coffee styled as a ballerina got so popular they earned their own merchandise, from trading cards to plush toys.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n AI slop goes further than ridiculous animal videos. Any low-quality content that AI creates, including text, images, audio, and video, can be bundled in as AI slop. <\/span>Some slop fills feeds, while some masquerades as \u201cuseful\u201d, such as AI-generated articles created with no interest in accuracy<\/b> – just content for content\u2019s sake.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n AI slop is created to get your attention, one way or another. For text, it might be created to generate money through ads that run on the same site (more clicks, more cash). On social media, the more engagement videos, text, and images get, the more successful the content and the account posting it can be.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In some cases, there might be darker motives behind AI slop. People or organizations can use tools to create deepfakes of real people, political messaging with a certain agenda, or images or videos designed to trick people and scam them.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n If you scrolled social media even for a minute in 2025, you\u2019ve probably already seen how AI slop is affecting the internet. No matter your interest, <\/span>the volume of AI content being produced means it\u2019s probably made it onto your feed in some way or another<\/b>. Music and playlists on Spotify, crafting tutorials on Reels, and even AI-generated overviews in Google can fall prey to the \u201cslopification\u201d of the internet. It overwhelms social media, search results, and even book browsing on places like Amazon.<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s changing the way we explore the internet, and how we interact with it – marketers choose AI to generate ads, messages get pushed through AI-produced <\/span>deepfakes<\/span><\/a>, and AI-informed, misinformed articles get published, which AI then uses as \u201ctruth\u201d to generate even more articles.<\/span> Instead of rejecting this fake, misleading content, companies are actively embracing it<\/b>: with entirely AI-generated feeds like those on <\/span>Sora 2<\/span> and Meta\u2019s <\/span>Vibes<\/span><\/a>, it\u2019s only poised to get worse.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/static.qustodio.com\/public-site\/uploads\/2026\/01\/16081219\/2025-12-Blog-What-is-AI-slop_-A-parents-guide_Inside-Image.png” alt=”teen girl looking at AI videos on phone ” title_text=”2025-12-%91Blog%93-What-is-AI-slop_-A-parents-guide_Inside-Image” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Not all AI slop is harmful. Videos of a dog hosting a podcast from its owners\u2019 kitchen table is just that – a fake animal video designed to make people watch, double-tap, or even share. But <\/span>there are some problems with AI slop content, especially for kids.<\/b> Here\u2019s what to watch for:<\/span><\/p>\n Brain rot content<\/b><\/p>\n This type of content – short, repetitive, low-effort, and often bizarre – is harmless, but also mindless. It takes up kids\u2019 time, spams their feeds, and can feel random (making it more fun in their eyes). <\/span>Brain rot content<\/span><\/a> often features loud noises, bright visuals, or other overstimulating factors that draw kids in and <\/span>keep them watching short clips<\/span><\/a>. The more they engage, the more likely they are to see more of this content in their feed, over time making it more difficult to find educational, entertaining, or valuable content on places like YouTube.<\/span><\/p>\n Misinformation and scams<\/b><\/p>\n While fake news and scams<\/a> are nothing new on the internet, AI helps produce them faster, and increases the quantity of misinformation or deliberately misleading content out there. This means it\u2019s harder to stop the spread, whether through fake stories designed to harm or slander someone or push a narrative, or AI-produced information that the AI tool itself hallucinates. For example, a website could publish an AI-generated fake news story<\/a>, which then later gets cited by other publications or AI tools, treating it as real. This makes it harder to verify what we\u2019re reading, watching, and engaging with online.<\/span><\/p>\n Loss of creativity<\/b><\/p>\n When used carefully, AI can be a tool that pushes us to explore more, or helps speed up our creative process. AI slop, however, does neither of these things, and overshadows real human creativity in social media feeds. AI photos and videos can drive attention away from real creators, making them less visible as they compete more with bots in a sea of auto-generated content.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Eroding trust<\/b><\/p>\n As more and more fake content springs up, it comes to a point where we have to question everything that we see or read online. While it\u2019s healthy to be critical, this way of thinking wears down trust in people and organizations which previously might have been well-regarded, or a source of truth. If children don\u2019t know what\u2019s real and what\u2019s fake, they also won\u2019t know what or who they can trust online, making it difficult for them to know who to turn to for advice or where to verify information.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n AI slop comes in many different forms. It could be text, video, audio, or image content, which means the signs can vary depending on the type of content your kids are consuming. That means <\/span>it\u2019s important to get your kids thinking about ways that content can be shaped or manipulated in different ways<\/b>. Here are some ways they can check, from more obvious clues to ways they can shape their thought process:<\/span><\/p>\n 1. Check for watermarks<\/b><\/p>\nWhat is AI slop? <\/strong><\/h2>\n
So it\u2019s just weird videos then?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
How is AI slop influencing the internet? <\/strong><\/h2>\n
Is AI slop harmful?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
How to spot AI slop<\/strong><\/h2>\n