It is a fact that a lot of children love to watch videos on YouTube especially YouTube Kids with a colorful environment, much high quality, interesting and friendly videos.
However, YouTube Kids was hit by concerns about advertising, branded content and inappropriate clips such as pornographic and violent content. So is Youtube Kids safe for kids? Let’s find out with us.
What is YouTube Kids?
YouTube Kids is the kids version of YouTube, with TV shows, music, educational videos, and user-generated content tailored for kids. YouTube Kids is designed for kids from preschool to 12 years old and is available as an app and website.
YouTube Kids allows parents to create individual user accounts for each of your kids, so kids can log in and watch videos that are appropriate for their age. One of the best features of YouTube Kids is screen time, which allows you to set a limit (up to 1 hour) for your child to use the app.
What age group is YouTube Kids suitable for?
On the app store, YouTube Kids is for children aged 4+. However, besides advertising, commercial products/services and the possibility of watching inappropriate videos are also widespread that children can fully access these types of content. That’s why parents should consider their child’s age and watch videos with them often.
What types of videos are there on YouTube Kids?
- With “Shows” feature: Youtube Kids has clips and full episodes of popular children’s shows like Winnie the Pooh and Thomas and Friends.
- With “Music” feature: Children’s songs from classical to contemporary.
- With “Learning”: Access to education-focused clips from sources including Khan Academy, PBS Kids, and TED-Ed.
- With “Explore”: It’s home to user-generated content with toy-related videos (including lots of unboxing clips) and a host of kid-friendly content. However, most videos kids watch are primarily entertainment, not educational content.
Is YouTube Kids safe for kids?
Misleading Ads on Youtube Kids
It’s no wonder that ads are extremely popular not only on Youtube but also on YouTube Kids with frequency appearing in 95% of videos. The problem with the ad is that it includes banner ads that block educational content, ads that appear in the sidebar which can confuse suggested videos.
Besides that, there are ads for video games that show up as images of famous characters that have been edited to trick viewers. One solution is that if a parent subscribes to YouTube Premium, there will be no ads and kids can watch it offline. However, kids will still have access to branded channels from snack or toy companies.
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Risks of access to pornography and violence
Nothing is completely safe, and neither is Youtube Kids. Despite being short, children are still at risk of seeing nude/sexual, violent content that is not appropriate for their age. Research shows that 27% of videos watched by children under 8 are intended for an older audience, with violence being the most likely type of negative content.
Youtube Kids uses algorithms to filter out adult content and feed children’s content into Youtube Kids. But videos that don’t quite match can pass that algorithm. Since the app’s launch in 2015, Google has improved its management efforts by using human monitoring to review videos flagged as inappropriate on YouTube and providing videos that are “verified” for Youtube Kids.
Risks of accessing other negative content
Besides pornography and violence, the videos will be able to use familiar characters from children’s TV shows.
A common scenario is videos with child-friendly titles that prompt children to click on them. The beginning of the video is normal, but then it gets weird and even downright unsettling. Whoever created these videos – called YouTube Poop – has figured out how to use tags (codes that help Google categorize content) to fool the algorithm.
While inappropriate videos are more common on the main YouTube channel, there have been sporadic instances of most disturbing content on Youtube videos appearing on YouTube Kids, including the trend of “how to commit suicide” stitched together in an animated video.
How can parents better protect their kids on YouTube Kids? How to set parental control on Youtube?
It’s heartbreaking to think that your innocent child could be exposed to such harmful content, leading to porn addiction, poor academic performance, or even imitation of dangerous behaviors.
We understand how scary it can be to think about your little one being exposed to harmful content, but don’t worry – you don’t have to face this alone!
Once you connect with CyberPurify Egg, your child will automatically be protected from not-for-kids videos on YouTube thanks to our Restricted Mode feature. No more worrying about your child stumbling upon inappropriate videos – CyberPurify Egg has got you covered!
You can also set schedules to block YouTube during specific times, such as homework time, bedtime, and family time. Customize the schedule to fit your family’s unique needs and routines.
CyberPurify Egg is proud to be trusted by over 36,000 parents worldwide as one of the best parental controls for YouTube. No more struggling to pry your child away from the screen during dinner or bedtime!
How can parents use CyberPurify Egg?
Step 1: Power up CyberPurify Egg. Wait for 1 minute and connect to CyberPurify Setup.
Step 2: Enter your email, then click “ADD AND CONTINUE”
Step 3: Choose your home WiFi network
Step 4: Enter your home WiFi’s password, then click SUBMIT. Make sure you enter your password CORRECTLY or else Egg cannot access to your home WiFi.
Step 5: Enter new WiFi name and password for your kids, click CREATE
Step 6: Wait for 1 minute and you will find a new WiFi for your kids!
Access your dashboard to review filters and manage your kids’ studying time at: wifi.cyberpurify.com.
Everything is done! Happy kids, happy parents!
Regularly watch videos on Youtube with your children
We understand that even with the best protections in place, it’s still important to watch videos with your child when possible and supervising their usage of YouTube Kids.
If you come across a disturbing video, don’t worry – you can block it to ensure it never shows up again. And if you believe the content is inappropriate or harmful, you can report it to YouTube for review and potential removal.
Watching videos with your child is not only a great way to keep them safe but also an opportunity to strengthen your family bond. It’s the perfect chance to teach your child what is and isn’t appropriate for them and have important conversations about online safety.
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