Social Media

Youtube: Safe or Not

Did you know?

• YouTube has around 30 million visitors per day
• Over 3.25 billion hours of video are watched on YouTube each month—that’s almost an hour for every person on Earth
• In every minute, 100 hours of videos are uploaded to YouTube

With this, it is not a surprise that YouTube is one of the top sites visited when surfing the internet. Your kids may be spending a fair bit of time watching YouTube videos. So, it is important that you know more about this popular platform.

 

1. Age Restriction: At least 13 Years Old

YouTube has tons of videos out there for younger children. But, did you know that users have to be at least 13 years old before they can sign up for a YouTube account? Nevertheless, your kids can easily get around the system by lying about their age. Registered users under 18 have restricted access to YouTube videos. But, with false birth dates, they can easily access unrestricted and uncensored materials inappropriate for young people.

 

2. Potential Exposure to Inappropriate Content

YouTube allows their viewers to flag inappropriate content, but because of the massive number of videos and comments on site, it usually takes time to review all content and reports made. An innocent search for a school project can potentially lead your child to questionable content. Teaching your child what they should do when they encounter inappropriate content online (e.g. leave the page immediately, inform an adult) can be the best filter.

 

3. More than Just a Video Hosting Site

If you think YouTube is purely a video hosting site, think again. Because YouTube is social media content community, registered users have personal profiles to maintain and your kids may share too much information with strangers if unsupervised. YouTube has also started to encourage users to use their real names instead of pseudonyms, along with a picture of themselves, although the option to remain anonymous is available. However, kids may be unaware of personal information that cannot be disclosed.

4. Problems Arising from Uploaded Videos

The slogan for YouTube is “Broadcast Yourself.” However, uploading self-created videos in YouTube can be extremely dangerous, especially when your child’s their personal privacy is violated. Predators can easily stalk your child and cyber bullies can taunt him/her by leaving hurtful comments in their videos. Your child may also breach the law if copyright content is uploaded.

 

While there are dangers posed to kids who use YouTube, we cannot deny that it is still a great resource for entertainment, education, research and countless more. Rather than restricting your child, it is better to educate and equip them with the relevant skills and knowledge needed to manage any sticky situations.