Exploration of science around the world; heavy ads.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Products & Purchases
a lot
Heavy advertisements and sponsorships in each video during and after the main topic of the video. Links offered in every caption of every video. Encourages viewers to support their account on membership platform Patreon in almost every video.
Violence & Scariness
very little
Some dead wild animals are shown briefly while explaining a devastating drought. Lions eating a dead animal carcass. All of which are intended for educational purposes.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.
Has a video explaining sex in a scientific way. Talks about animals and the scientific benefit from sex like diversifying genes. Alludes to sex in a video explaining Neanderthals and Homo sapiens by saying they shared a "romantic campfire and interbred."
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.
All content on this channel is educational, science based and nature focused, and uses real world examples. You'll learn about sand dunes, iridescence, evolution, wildlife animals, biology, physics, space, and more. Thorough explanations of topics in videos by using statistics, graphs, experiments. Host visits National parks, labs, research facilities and talks with scientists and educators for hands-on experience. Answers fun and interesting questions -- Who invented the scientific method? What is fun? Why do we dream? Has a mini documentary series called In Our Life that focuses on wildlife habitats.
Positive Messages
a lot
Reiterates that everyone is smart in their own way and that learning is power. Asks many questions, encourages viewers to "stay curious" at the end of every video. Always mentions how viewers can do their part to help the environment and stresses the importance for individuals trying to make a positive impact on the world.
Positive Role Models
a lot
Dr. Joe Hanson is passionate about STEM, eager to learn about the world around him, and genuinely a curious person. He also uses his platform to educate viewers and share findings. Makes learning silly and exciting by using fun examples, memes and captivating experiments. Interacts with audience and has a playlist of videos called Ask Joe Stuff! where viewers can send in questions for Joe to answer.
Diverse Representations
a lot
Host of the channel is a White man, however many Black, Indigenous and people of color are featured in videos. Talks about people from all over the world. You'll hear from Jahawi Bertolli photographer/filmmaker from Kenya, Mairin Balisi, PhD, a scientist who works at the La Brea Tar Pits, and the Intertribal Buffalo Council and their efforts to return buffalos to their tribes.
Parents need to know that Be Smart is a fun and educational YouTube that focuses on answering questions about science and the world we live in. Creator Dr. Joe Hanson goes on adventures to teach viewers about a wild range of topics like the history behind the scientific method, the contribution of wildebeests in an ecosystem, and even the science behind farts. There's truly something for everyone on this channel. Every video includes silly examples that make learning entertaining and understandable or an apple pie to explain how our memory works. Dr. Hanson not only explores different topics in front of a camera in a studio, he also travels to many different locations to get more connected to the topic. He's been to places like the Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado, the Serengeti in Africa, and Palouse Falls in Washington. Each video is filled with information in the form of statistics, graphs, and animated examples. Joe never fails to make it engaging by adding jokes, memes, and silly examples throughout the video making it easier content for kids to digest. This is a great channel for the whole family.
farter henry A.Parent of 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18+-year-old
July 6, 2024
age 18+
Be dumb llolololloloolloollollo
Be smart? More like be dumb.
HAHAHHAHAHAAHUHAHAHAAHA
What’s It About?
BE SMART follows host Dr. Joe Hanson as he wonders about about pretty much anything you can think of and ventures out to find the answer. The channel hosts many different topics but most are science-related. You'll learn about sand dunes, iridescence, evolution, wildlife animals, biology, physics, space, and more. Each video is filled with information like statistics, and graphs, but Joe never fails to make it engaging by adding jokes, memes, and silly examples. What's even more interesting is that his questions take him all over the world to learn about different people and cultures as well. You'll hear from Jahawi Bertolli a photographer/filmmaker from Kenya, Mairin Balisi PhD, a scientist who works at the La Brea Tar Pits, and the Intertribal Buffalo Council and their efforts to return buffalos to their tribes. There's an endless amount of learning and fun to be had on Be Smart, fo both kids and adults.
Have you ever wondered how bees make honey? So has Dr. Joe Hanson, the creator of Be Smart. He approaches questions like this, but also pretty much anything you can think of. This channel is all about exploring, asking questions, and the science behind everything around us. You'll learn things like how the ocean moves, the science of iridescence, and the illusion of motion. Each video is packed with educational information and uses statistics, graphs, illustrations to show factual evidence. But Joe never fails to make learning engaging by adding jokes, memes, and silly examples. Not all videos are science-based, however there's always a thorough explanation about the topic of the video. Joe makes science fun and captivating while also getting the point of the video across. There's so much to learn on this channel and tons of videos to watch!
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Be Smart has many videos on climate change. What are some ways that Be Smart explains how humans have negatively impacted Earth? What are some ways we as individuals can help our environment?
For kids: What have you learned about climate change in school? Did you learn anything new from Be Smart?
At the end of every video, the creator always says "stay curious." What does Joe mean by "stay curious?" Why is curiosity an important character strength?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
suggesting a diversity update.
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By Alina Barrera
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
