It would be unrealistic to say your child should never have access to a screen — or that you should completely forbid YouTube. Dr. Greenfield advised that children under 5 should have little to no screen time. Those ages 6 to 9 should have no more than an hour a day.
YouTube Kids is mostly safe, but there's a small chance kids could see nudity, violence, or just weird stuff, as well as ads for stuff like junk food. Our study found that 27% of videos watched by kids 8 and under are intended for older target audiences, with violence being the most likely negative content type.
“When kids are exposed to the wide range of content on YouTube, it's concerning, because the content might not be age-appropriate, which can lead them to seeing something they're not mature enough to handle,” says Morrison.
You must be at least 13 years old to use the Service; however, children of all ages may use the Service and YouTube Kids (where available) if enabled by a parent or legal guardian.
Most parents say YouTube keeps their child entertained, helps them learn new things; nearly half say their child has encountered inappropriate videos there. The majority of parents who have a child under the age of 12 who watches YouTube find some benefits from their child's use of the platform.
CONS: Exposure to Inappropriate ContentChildren and teenagers have innocent minds since they haven't reached their maturity level. Getting exposed to things that are not appropriate to their age can diminish their way of thinking very early. There is no supervision of content on YouTube channels.
Some of the content will have commercialism embedded within, and ads may still pop up during video viewing. And importantly, though there's lots of good-quality, educational content available, there's also lots of poor-quality content, as well as content that just isn't right for the classroom.
Age restrictions
If your child is under 13, you should set up the channel yourself – and continue to manage the content they post and everything they do on it from that point on. All content has to be in line with YouTube's Community Guidelines. This includes a specific section on Child Safety on YouTube.
Yes, it's generally pretty safe if you take advantage of YouTube's tiered parental controls. Depending on their age, kids will have access to different types of content. And for very young children, YouTube for Kids is a great option.
Important: Your child must have a Google Account managed by Family Link. Some features on YouTube aren't currently available for children under 13 years old (or the applicable age in your country or region) with a supervised Google Account. Learn more about supervised experiences on YouTube.
TikTok can be a kid-friendly experience if you supervise your kids, use safety settings, and stick to songs you already know. But TikTok's emphasis on popular music means many videos include swearing and sexual lyrics, so it may not be age-appropriate for kids to use on their own.
With the growing popularity of YouTube, people are seen to spend more time with their eyes glued to screens. Too much of screen time negatively impacts your vision. It can even cause you back ache, neck pain too. Though YouTube has created job for many, it has also taken away the efficiency and productivity of people.
Age restrictions
TikTok requires its users to be at least 13 years old. Despite users having to be aged 13 and up the age ratings for TikTok are, a little confusingly, 12+ on Apple's App Store and "Parental Guidance Recommended" on the Google Play Store.
You can view a watch history on Google by heading to http://myactivity.google.com/ and scrolling down to 'My YouTube Watch History'. There you'll find a full inventory of all the video content that your child has been watching.
Youtube May Promote Unsafe Behavior
But it's not just the trends – privacy concerns also come into play. While watching or creating content, your child might accidentally disclose personal information, potentially leading to unwelcome attention or even cyberbullying.
Turn Restricted Mode on or off. Your child may begin using the YouTube app and other features once they turn 13 (or the applicable age in your country outside the European Union). No content filter settings are turned on in YouTube by default.
Such an open approach can pose some risks to kids, especially younger ones. And though Roblox has some safety precautions in place, it remains a target for people with less-than-good intentions. Still, because of the learning potential Roblox offers, Common Sense Media rates it OK for users age 13+.
Causes of YouTube Addiction
Like other types of behavioral addictions, viewing YouTube videos can produce short-term rewards. Over time, people may begin to feel that they have diminished control over their behavior and may continue watching excessive amounts of video content despite adverse consequences.
Key Facts: Regular YouTube users, particularly those under 29, experience higher levels of loneliness, anxiety, and depression according to a study from the Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention.
Elsagate is a neologism referring to a controversy surrounding videos on YouTube and YouTube Kids that were categorized as "child-friendly", but contained themes that were deemed inappropriate for young children.
YouTube stands out as the most common online platform teens use out of the platforms measured, with 95% saying they ever use this site or app. Majorities also say they use TikTok (67%), Instagram (62%) and Snapchat (59%).