Many of us are familiar with YouTube as the go-to hub for videos for nearly everyone on Earth. It’s home to countless videos of every genre, with more than 400 hours of content uploaded each minute—including content that’s inappropriate for kids.
YouTube has become increasingly popular and more difficult to navigate with its many updated features. Our friends at Bark have assembled a list of reasons why families should set restrictions and prevent inappropriate content from reaching their kids. Some of these may seem obvious, but others might be a surprise.
Manage YouTube on every device.
Kids know their way around an obstacle. It’s not enough to only set restrictions YouTube on the computer—children can access the site through other platforms like the YouTube app, smart TVs, Kindles, and iPads. This is why it’s important to cover all the bases when setting limitations.
Beware of fake profiles.
As kids get older, they learn how tech limitations work and may attempt to break the rules. While YouTube does enforce an age restriction policy with some channels and videos, teens might create fake profiles and lie about their age. By doing so, they can gain easy access to restricted content.
Know the dangers of comment sections.
The comments section of a YouTube video isn’t much different than a public chat room. It creates an opportunity for individuals to engage in harmful conversation that can include abusive language, bullying, and toxic and derogatory messages. These comments sections can allow sexual predators to freely interact with each other and even communicate directly with children.
Don’t let them log out.
Kids may try to view inappropriate content by simply logging out of the account on which you have set specific restrictions. Although YouTube will automatically block videos that require age verification from users without an account, some highly questionable content is still readily available.
Watch out for proxies.
These days, kids know their way around technology. Older kids may try to go around limitations by using a proxy server (AKA “Incognito Mode”), which hides a user’s IP address and allows them to bypass previous internet restrictions.
Want to learn more?
These are just a few examples of how inappropriate YouTube content can slip through the cracks and reach your kids. Read more in Bark’s eBook “The Ultimate Parents’ Guide to YouTube,” a comprehensive instruction manual that will help you navigate YouTube and safeguard your children from exposure to harmful videos and language. You’ll learn more about following trends, recognizing dangers, and discovering the basics of user accounts.
This post was provided by Bark, an award-winning service that allows parents to monitor interactions and content on their child’s device. With Bark, busy parents can protect their kids from digital dangers and gain peace of mind.
