How To Make Your Youtube Content Safe For Young Viewer

With YouTube being a free for all platform there are some themes that may not be suitable for your children. We all know how lax the age restriction policy is on YouTube and your child can view content that might not be suitable for them.

This is precisely the reason why it is necessary to monitor what your kids are watching With political discourse and podcasts being more rampant than ever. There is a high chance that your kid might end up watching something that wasn’t meant for them. With many brands accusing the algorithm of favoring some content over others, it is best that you monitor what your child sees.

For this reason, YouTube Kids was released which has been a massive success. But it has also received flak for not vetting out everything that is posted. The Kids version of the app is a family-friendly variant that has age-appropriate content for kids.

With content being consumed on social media and other online platforms, cable TV is slowly being phased out. This is because with YouTube and its contemporaries you can get content on the go. This makes it great for anyone that cannot dedicate a time of their day to view new shows. 

You can monitor your child’s activity and also have a good insight into what they are doing. Here is how you can make YouTube safer for young viewers

Monitor what they are watching and when they are watching it

Closely checking on them and going through their history is a great way of knowing what they are up to. You can only let them access the app at certain times.

They should use the app only under adult supervision because this way you can monitor and supervise them in real-time. It is best to nip the problems in the bud rather than waiting for them to fester in the future. 

This will also help you keep your children safe online. The internet is a wonderful tool if used for the right purposes. But in the wrong hands, it is equally nefarious. Protect your kids from the darker side of it with close supervision. 

Self-monitor

It is best that you tell your children about the wrongful things that can be present in the media so that they are aware of them. This way they can decide for themselves what is right and what is not. 

This will also teach the kids about morals and some things that are not for them. Give them the right guidance from a young age, and they will be able to steer clear of things for them in the future too. 

The Kids version is a great step in this direction; it makes the platform safe for kids of all ages. With YouTube hosting a lot of material for kids too, it is imperative that you understand that banning it is not an option.

On the other hand censorship like this can hurt them in the future where they are exposed to certain things. 

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Disable Search

By disabling search you can make sure that the kids do not roam around on the app. It will make finding content harder but it is for the betterment of everyone. Kids are inquisitive by nature and searching for random things may not have the best results. 

• To disable search click on the lock icon in the bottom right corner of your screen
• Enter the passcode and answer the question that is presented
• Click on the gear icon, it represents the settings
• Select your child and enter your Google password.
• Now all you have to do is de-select “Allow searching”

Adjust content levels

With a variety of things available on the kid’s app, it is necessary that you select things that your kid will be able to view. It can be easy learner’s things or a much-unrestricted experience.

You can set the mode to “Approved content only” which ensures that your kids only watch videos that have been pre-approved by you. A number of collections are also available on the app that makes it a great place to find new things. Collections are pre-approved by YouTube and save you a lot of time in the long run. These videos have been vetted by YouTube experts that look through the video to make sure it is child-friendly. 

Click on the lock icon and enter your passcode. After you have done this answer the math question that is presented and click on the settings gear. Go to content level and then select Approved content only.

Watch history

The YouTube algorithm takes into account the kind of content that your kids have been watching and recommends new videos based on that. This way they can explore more videos in the same niche. But doing this a lot of time can lead to new videos time and again.

To pause this just click on the lock icon on the bottom right hand corner. After doing that just enter your password and answer a question. Click on the settings gear and select your child. At the end select pause watch history.

This is a great way of not letting the AI and YouTube marketing decide what your kids watch.

Custom Password

Kids are getting smarter these days and you as a parent should remain one step ahead of them. This can be easily done by setting a parents-only password. This is essentially a password for your settings so that they cannot be changed by the kids when they have the device. 

You should implement this before giving your kids so that they do not set these passwords up first. Just go to the lock icon and enter your passcode. Answer a simple math question and click on the gear icon. After this select your child and set a custom passcode yourself. It is a 4 digit PIN that will be needed to access the settings page from now on.

Block content

You want to create a safe viewing experience for children but some unwanted content can still slip through the cracks. You as a parent should be ever so vigilant to get rid of it quickly or just ban it in the first place. You can always report and block this content.

Reporting allows the YouTube authorities to review the material and make a decision themselves. You just have to click on the three dots that appear on the top right corner of your screen. Then click on the report option. You will get a variety of reasons to choose from. 

Restricted mode

This is a great way to block off mature content from your kids’ viewing experience. The AI will redirect all the mature or inappropriate stuff and make your kids viewing experience is filled child safe content.

There is no perfect solution for keeping your kids’ experience safe. All you can do is put up these safeguards so that they have a great experience no matter what.

Just click on the lock icon and enter your password. After this choose the settings gear and enable restricted mode. This will make the mode active and it will redirect potentially harmful content away from the app. 

Distractions

Many times people are attracted to the thumbnail and may click on a video because of it. But in the age of clickbait more often than not child-safe content cannot be guaranteed because of it. YouTube for children is a great learning tool that helps them learn a lot but they can be easily distracted. 

Make use of free chrome extensions that can remove all the content except the video. This way your kid will not click on every bright and shiny video. This minimizes the chances of them watching unwanted content. YouTube likes and YouTube comments can also influence kids but extensions can easily take care of these things. 

Custom Playlists

YouTube content is vast and you can create a custom playlist of videos that have been vetted out by you. This way you can easily control what your kids are watching and keep them safe too. It is a great way to get the best videos for your kids and make sure that they are appropriate for them too. Just use the save button underneath every video and make a big playlist of things that are right for your kids.

Content filtering

This is also a great way to check what your kids are watching. You can easily use a monitoring device to see what your kids are watching. A content filter allows you to block content that you may not want your kids to see. 

You can have great options for not a lot of money. These are great tools for anyone looking to make their kids’ YouTube viewing experience safer than ever. 

YouTube is a platform that you simply cannot ignore. It is the new TV for kids and with tons of content on-demand it is important that you set up a few safeguards and boundaries. Not only that you can also influence and mold your kids’ personality and morals through these videos. Give them the advantage that they need to succeed in this world.