YouTube
A guide for families with key information about ‘YouTube’, including the age rating, key terminology, risks and instructions for enabling parental controls and safety settings.
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YouTube is a free video sharing and social networking app and website where users can view, comment, make and share videos on a range of topics. Videos uploaded to the platform are easy to share via other forms of social media and can also be embedded in other websites and content. With approximately 120 million daily active users consuming more than a billion hours of video every day, YouTube is one of the most widely used social media platforms in the world.
Age rating
The minimum age for a YouTube account is 13, however it does not have any rigorous age verification.
This age applies to both viewing content and setting up a YouTube channel. Children between the ages of 13 and 17 are only allowed to open an account with parental permission.
Some videos on YouTube have an adult age restriction if YouTube deems them to contain potentially inappropriate content. These are only available to users who claim to be 18 years old or older according to their account details.
Find out more about age ratings in our ‘parent and carer’s guide to age ratings of apps and games’.
How children and young people use the app
Young people can engage with this app in two keys ways: as a viewer of content and as a creator of content.
Viewers mainly watch and share videos on topics which interest them. This can be fun and entertaining for young people, especially if they can connect with other users in the comment section or in the channel’s general fan-base.
Creators set up their own YouTube channel and use this as a platform to share videos which they have made on topics of their choice. This gives young people a creative outlet to curate content with the potential incentive of becoming famous or wealthy from being a YouTuber, as many others have already done.
YouTube is best known for its ‘long-form’ videos. Creators often provide content on a theme or in a particular style which helps them to create fanbases and followings. The introduction of YouTube Shorts has added another layer to the content on the platform and, for some users, is preferable to other short form platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat.
“I like YouTube because it allows me to watch the things I like, and it calms me down and it gives me a break from the stress of life.”, child, aged 14.
Key features and terminology
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An online personality who produces content on YouTube
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As with television, YouTube is made up of different channels. A channel is an account holder’s personal space where they can share the content that they have produced.
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The comment section on YouTube allows users to leave comments on the videos they have watched, which can be read and responded to by the account holder who shared the content.
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This stands for ‘Video blogs’, where users create and share videos on a range of popular topics, such as gaming and beauty. High-profile vloggers are often paid to use their influence to promote products or brands.
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Video ‘Thumbnails’ let viewers see an image of what each video contains to help them select the most appropriate video to watch. It is important to note that even if a video is blocked to a user because they are under-18, they are still able to see a thumbnail image of the video, which may contain an image unsuitable for children.
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‘Tags’ are descriptive keywords that you can add to your videos to help viewers find your content.
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There is a designated area on YouTube where viewers can watch, make and upload live videos. This content is shared in real time without editing, but it is monitored in the same way as all other content on the platform.
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These are in-video notifications that help promote a creator’s brand and their other videos. A teaser box appears during a video, and when clicked, will take the viewer to more content by the same creator.
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This function allows users to search and view whatever they want without it appearing in their search or viewing history. Everything you do whilst in this mode is private.
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A function to indicate a viewer’s feedback on a particular video. Likes and dislikes are indicated by ‘thumbs up’ or ‘thumbs down’ icons underneath the video that is playing. The number of likes the video has received are numbered but not the dislikes.
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A function that allows a viewer to ‘Follow’ a channel and receive notifications when new content is added to the channel. Subscribed channels are listed on the viewer’s home page, making favourite channels easier to find.
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A function that allows a viewer to share a video or channel via social media or email or with a link that can be pasted anywhere.
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These are longer videos, typically ranging from 15 minutes up to several hours.
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These are short-form videos lasting no longer than 60 seconds. ‘Shorts’ allow viewers to watch and interact with an endless stream of videos in the ‘Short feed’ on YouTube.
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The term for content that sets out to attract attention and encourages viewers through using deception, sensationalism, or misleading information. YouTube has become particularly associated with this form of marketing.
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A monthly subscription to YouTube that provides users with additional features such as ad-free watching, and letting users download videos onto their devices.
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These are posts creators use that allow them to interact with viewers in different ways. Community posts allow for the use of polls, quizzes, images and videos to reach an audience. Accounts that are supervised or set ‘Made for Kids’ do not have access to Community polls.
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Badges are a feature of YouTube that viewers can ‘collect’. Viewers collect badges by interacting with content on YouTube and achieving ‘milestones.’ Examples of milestones include completing quizzes, being one of the first paid members of a creators channel, being a top listener or having other creators react to your comments.
Potential risks
Content
With such a wealth of videos available to choose from on YouTube, the risk of younger viewers finding or stumbling across inappropriate material is quite high if the necessary filters have not been enabled. Whilst the minimum age for an account is 13, the reality is that most of the content is aimed at older users. As well as deliberately searching for content that might be unsuitable, YouTube has a ‘Related videos’ feature that provides recommendations for further viewing based on the video playing, some of which may have only a vague relationship to the original content and (or) might not be suitable for children. This algorithm will not recognise the age-appropriateness of the initial video and might produce recommendations that are adult-orientated and need only a click to play.
Help your child subscribe to channels you feel comfortable with. This will produce a feed of safe videos for your child to browse in the ‘Subscriptions’ area of YouTube and reduce the possibility your child will encounter inappropriate content, either when searching or from algorithmic recommendations.
Alongside the risk of watching inappropriate videos, there is also the possibility of witnessing inappropriate comments which can be rude, bullying and hateful. Comments can be directed to the user who created the content or posted the video but also could be directed to other YouTube users posting their own comments. By restricting who your child can access on the platform (by enabling ‘Restricted mode’), your child is less likely to experience language or behaviour that is not suitable for their age. Whilst community guidelines are in place, the platform relies on users to report comments they deem inappropriate.
YouTube is often seen as a quick and easy way to access information or instructional content such as ‘how-to’ videos and documentary series. It is important to remember that as these videos are user-created and subject to limited moderation. It is possible that young users can be exposed to false or misleading information. Talk with your child about misinformation and suggest ways they may spot it. Encourage them to fact-check any information they are unsure about, particularly if it may affect their, or someone else’s well-being.
YouTube has a ‘Supervised accounts’ feature, which allows parents and carers to set up managed accounts for their children. YouTube created supervised accounts to provide an option for parents and carers to support ‘Tweens and teens’ under 13 as they develop their online independence and move on from YouTube Kids. Supervised accounts are linked to the adult’s Google account and provide content setting controls to restrict the videos and YouTube features that their child can access. Children with these accounts will not be able to upload videos or comments and they will have filters in place to restrict content.
Connecting with others
Once a video has been posted, other users can comment on it. It’s important your child understands that these comments can count as chatting online. Speak to your child about the risks of connecting with strangers and explain the importance of not sharing any personal or identifiable information on their profile or within chats. Remind your child to tell you if they have been asked more personal questions or to chat privately using a different app.
When users post video content on YouTube, the content is open to criticism from other users. The comment function on YouTube can make users susceptible to harassment and abuse. Whilst the app has community standards that all users must adhere to, make sure your child knows how to report and block users who behave inappropriately.
Videos can also be liked or disliked by viewers when they are posted – if your child receives dislikes, they may find it very upsetting. Make sure to speak to your child about how likes aren’t necessary reflective of the quality of their videos and that it should not devalue the way they see themselves or the content they’ve created.
User behaviour
If your child has their own YouTube channel, it is important for you and them to be aware of what they post and the impact this will have on their digital footprint. Have a conversation with them to help them understand what is and is not appropriate for them to share and discuss the various ways they can protect themselves by sharing in private rather than public forums. Ensure your child knows it can be difficult to keep ownership of a video once it has been shared online, as content can easily be copied and reposted without their knowledge and can then become difficult to remove from the internet.
Be mindful that your child may use ‘Incognito mode’ to hide their viewing history from you if you regularly check their viewing and search history. Talk to your child and take an interest in their viewing habits to help reduce the likelihood of them hiding their viewing history. It is important to let your child know that you do not mean to infringe on their privacy and emphasise it as a way of keeping them safe on the platform and allowing you to better support them if they encounter content that they find confusing or upsetting.
Design, data and costs
YouTube is a free app, which means it generates most of its revenue from advertising. Most videos begin with an advert and some channels will also include sponsored content. Despite vloggers having to disclose when a video features gifted products, this form of advertising may be difficult for viewers to understand, particularly when these forms of advertising seem difficult to escape. Have a conversation about how advertising works with your child before they begin exploring the app. YouTube also offers a Premium service to its users through a monthly subscription known as ‘YouTube Premium’. Premium offers users the chance to download content onto their devices, to browse ad-free, and to access the paid-version of YouTube’s sister app, ‘YouTube Music’. Parents should note that even if they sign up for the premium service, their children may still be exposed to sponsored or branded content such as fast food or toy companies.
Users who set up their own YouTube channels will also have to agree to a lengthy set of terms and conditions, which will not be drafted in a child-friendly way. Speak to your child about the role of ‘Terms and conditions’ (T&Cs) to help them understand what current and future rights they might be giving away by accepting them.
Many YouTuber’s encourage their viewers to ‘Subscribe’ to their channel. Once a user subscribes, it means that any new videos or content it publishes will appear in your ‘Subscriptions’ feed and you will receive a notification when new content is posted. If your child has subscribed to lots of channels, they are likely to receive frequent notifications which can be very difficult for some younger users to manage. Explain to your child how the platform is designed to keep users engaged and work with your child to set realistic time limits and boundaries for using the app.
YouTube Shorts are short-form videos similar to those found on TikTok and Instagram, which are provided in an endless stream and will play automatically. Like normal YouTube videos, these short videos are recommended to the viewer based on an algorithm, which comes from the user’s viewing habits. Due to the short, endless stream combined with algorithmic recommendations, it is possible your child may spend far more time on YouTube than they originally intended. Work with your child to set time limits where possible when viewing YouTube shorts to ensure that they maintain control of their own time.
Tips for keeping your child safe
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When uploading content onto the platform, the default setting is ‘Public’, which means any user on YouTube can view the video. Set their video uploads settings to ‘Private’ rather than ‘Public’. This way they need to approve all other users who wish to view their content.
To reduce the risk of your child seeing inappropriate videos, tell YouTube what you don’t want to see. Select the three dots next to the ‘Up next’ video title and select ‘Don’t recommend channel’. This will remove this channel from your feed.
To set videos to private:
- on the YouTube account, select ‘Settings’ then ‘Privacy’
- select each category that you wish to make private then choose ‘Save’
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Switching on ‘Restricted mode’ is recommended, which helps to filter out mature videos. Disabling the ‘Autoplay’ feature, to stop videos playing automatically after one has ended, is also suggested. To reduce the risk of your child seeing inappropriate videos, tell YouTube what you don’t want to see.
As a creator, users have some autonomy over the comments that appear on their channel. Users can toggle comments on/off and also pause comments. Paused comments will still be shown to the creator but will not appear next to the content. They can be turned back on at any time. These settings can be applied to individual videos or as default settings for all content created.
To enable ‘Restricted mode’:
- on the YouTube account, select ‘Settings’ then toggle the ‘Restricted mode’ option
- note: ‘Restricted mode’ needs to be set on each individual device, rather than it being account-wide)
To disable ‘Autoplay’:
- on the YouTube account, select ‘Settings’ then toggle the ‘Autoplay’ option
To manage content:
- select the three dots next to the ‘Up next’ video title
- select ‘Don’t recommend channel’, which will remove this channel from your feed
To unsubscribe from a channel:
- go to the channel you want to unsubscribe to
- under the video select’ Subscribed’ and choose ‘Unsubscribe’
To change default comment settings:
- open the ‘YouTube Studio’ and select ‘Settings’
- navigate to the ’Community’ tab and then to ’Defaults’
- you can now choose to turn comments ‘On’ or ‘Off’ for your channel
- choose ‘Save’ to apply these setting to the account
To change comment settings on a specific video if all comments are not turned off:
- open the ‘YouTube Studio’ and select ‘Content’
- select the thumbnail for the video you wish to adjust the setting for
- navigate to the bottom of the page and select ‘Show more’
- navigate to the bottom of this page to the ‘Comments and ratings’ section
- select ‘On’, ‘Pause’ or ‘Off’ for comments on this video
- choose ‘Save’, at the top of the page, to apply these settings to this video
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Families have the option of setting up ‘Supervised accounts’ or ‘supervised experiences’ for children under 13, however the lowest content setting a parent or carer can use begins at 9+. These accounts are distinct from both YouTube Kids and Restricted Accounts as children with supervised accounts will be accessing the main YouTube platform. More guidance about supervised accounts, including what is automatically disabled, is available.
To set up supervised accounts (for parents and carers):
- sign into YouTube and select the profile picture
- select the gear icon labelled ’Settings’
- navigate to ‘Family Centre’ and select ‘Manage kids’ profiles and features for teens
- ’choose ‘Invite a teen’
- select ‘Create invite’ and share the invite link with your child or have them scan the QR code on a mobile device
To enable or adjust content settings for your child:
- sign into YouTube on the linked parent account and select your profile picture
- select the gear icon labelled ‘Settings’, and then choose ‘Parent settings’
- choose which account you would like to adjust content settings for
- under ‘YouTube settings’, select ‘Edit’ next to ‘Content settings’
- choose which content option you would like your child to have: ‘Explore’ shows content rated 9+ and no livestreams, ‘Explore more’ shows content rated 13+ and includes livestreams, and ‘Most of YouTube’ shows nearly all content on YouTube except for 18+ videos or other videos deemed not appropriate
To block a specific channel on a supervised account:
- sign into YouTube on the linked parent account
- go to the channel page of the YouTube channel you want to block
- choose the ‘About’ tab on the channel page
select the ‘Report user’ flag icon and choose ‘Block channel for kids’ - choose ‘Block’ next to the child you wish to block this channel for
- select ‘Done’
To disable autoplay:
- sign into YouTube on the linked parent account and select the profile picture
- select the gear icon labelled ’Settings’
- navigate to ‘Family Centre’ and choose ‘Manage kids profiles and features for teens’
- select the profile of the child you wish to disable autoplay for
choose ‘disable autoplay’, to turn it on
YouTube has released a ‘frequently asked questions’ page about supervised accounts. YouTube has also announced plans to further develop their ‘supervised experiences’ with a global roll out of new features. This includes the creation of the Family Centre hub. The hub gives parents and carers insight into the activity of a child’s account and will show metrics such as: number of uploads, accounts teen has subscribed to and comments they’ve made. Additionally, parents and carers will receive emails at ‘key events’ such as when their child uploads a video or starts a livestream.
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Users can report and block other users who may be bothering them or behaving inappropriately on the platform.
To report a video:
- below the video you wish to report, select the three dots icon and choose ‘Report’
- follow the onscreen instructions to complete
To report a comment:
- go to the comment you wish to report, select the three dots icon and choose ‘Report’
- follow the onscreen instructions to complete
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The YouTube app has a ‘Time watched’ section within your account, where you can monitor your usage, but also set different tools to help manage your YouTube time. You can also set reminders and timers to help encourage breaks from the platform.
To enable ‘Time watched’:
- on the YouTube account, select the ‘Time watched’ option and use the toggle buttons to set reminders for ‘Breaks’ and ‘Bedtime’
To set a sleep timer:
- on any video, select the gear icon labelled ‘Settings’
- choose ‘Sleep timer’
- choose how long you want the timer to run, the video will automatically pause when the timer
To set reminders:
- go to your profile and select ‘Settings’ and then ‘General’
- toggle on the options for:
- Remind me to take a break (set your reminder frequency from the pop-up menu)
- Remind me when it’s bedtime (set your bedtime from the pop-up menu)
To manage notifications:
- go to your profile and select ‘Settings’
- scroll to ‘Notifications’ and select the notifications you want to receive from:
- Recommended videos
- Watch on TV
To manage adverts:
- go to your profile and select ‘Settings’
- scroll to ‘History and privacy’ and toggle off the option for ‘Allow personalised ads’
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Account deletion means all your information will be permanently deleted and cannot be restored.
To delete a YouTube account (Web only):
- select your avatar on the top-right corner of the window
- choose the gear icon labelled ‘Settings’
- choose ‘Advanced settings’, located on the left side of the screen
- select ‘Delete my channel’
- select ‘I want to permanently delete my content’
- tick any necessary boxes and choose ‘Delete my content’
To hide a YouTube account (Web only):
- select your avatar on the top-right corner of the window
- choose the gear icon labelled ‘Settings’
- choose ‘Advanced settings’, located on the left side of the screen
- select ‘Delete my channel’
- choose ‘I want to hide my channel’
- tick any necessary boxes and choose ‘Hide my channel’
Additional tips
YouTube Kids is a separate version of YouTube, available as a free Android and iOS app and set up by a parent or carer with a Google account. The ‘Premium’ version available as part of a parent or carer’s paid Google subscription is ad-free. YouTube Kids is designed to provide a supervised space for younger viewers to explore a diverse but smaller selection of age-appropriate video content that is easier and safer to navigate. YouTube Kids provides searchable access to the main YouTube video database but filtered by YouTube to allow only child-safe content, suitable for children from pre-school to age 12.
Parents and carers can control the videos they want their child to access by using one of four content settings. The ‘Approve content yourself’ option allows parents and carers to hand-pick the content they want their child to see. The three age-based options are Preschool (ages 4 and under), Younger (ages 5 to 8) and Older (ages 9 to 12). YouTube Kids also has controls that allow parents and carers to disable the search function, restrict sound volume and set a timer to limit the time a child can spend using the app. To protect children from inappropriate content, YouTube kids does not provide access to the comment function seen in the main app and the like/dislike feature is disabled. YouTube Kids also allows parents and carers to block channels that they do not want their child to access and to report any inappropriate content that evades the YouTube filters.
YouTube has a parental control guide for YouTube Kids. This outlines your settings and controls as a parent, explains how to customise your child’s experiences on YouTube Kids and how to manage content settings. It also includes information for YouTube creators about a new choice for parents and carers which allows their children to access YouTube through a supervised account.
YouTube has introduced a ‘Go live together’ feature, which allows live streamers on the platform to invite a guest to join their livestream. ‘Go live together’ is eligible for users aged 13 to 17 that have more than 1000 subscribers to their channel.
YouTube has developed a media literacy curriculum called ‘Hit Pause’ intended for teachers of children aged 13 to 17.
YouTube Music is available for Android, iOS and desktop and provides a tailored interface for streaming music and podcasts. It allows users to browse through songs, music videos, and podcasts based on genres, playlists, topics, and recommendations. YouTube Music is free to download and use but also has a paid ‘Premium’ membership that is ad-free and allows the user to download music to listen offline. YouTube Music can be linked to Google-compatible smart devices and speakers.
YouTube Music is not available to users under the age of 13 because the huge catalogue of available music inevitably includes some explicit content in the form of song lyrics and album art, which potentially creates risk for younger users. Like the main YouTube app, YouTube Music has a ‘Restricted mode’ that filters out songs with explicit lyrics or mature content. ‘Restricted mode’ is activated in settings and blocks music and videos that Google has labelled with an ‘E’ for explicit content. YouTube Music is also available through the ‘Supervised accounts’ feature that allows parents and carers to control the content that can be accessed via the app to create an age-appropriate music and podcast listening experience. YouTube Music has introduced comments for songs, videos and podcasts. YouTube Music carries over any applied settings meaning any moderation such as blocked words and hidden users are also applied.
YouTube creators are now asked to disclose content that uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to alter content. Creators must disclose if AI is used to:
- make a real person appear to say something or do something that didn’t say or do
- alters footage of a real event or place
- generate a realistic-looking scene that didn’t actually occur
Users that create content using YouTube AI tools will automatically have AI labels added. Users uploading content will be asked to check the box that will apply the label to content.