YouTube is one of the biggest phenomenons of today's society. Millions of people are watching videos by the minute on this popular Internet video channel, including tweens. While there are appropriate viewing options for this age group, there are also very inappropriate ones as well. How can a tween stay safe while viewing YouTube? Here are some tips.
Read the Safety Center Tips
YouTube offers a Safety Center for viewers. The web page includes tips for keeping YouTube a safe and fun place to visit for everyone. Some tips include:
- How to flag videos that violate YouTube's posting policies
- How to block users with inappropriate content
- How to keep videos uploaded private
The Safety Center allows visitors to contact YouTube management regarding certain safety issues. It also gives clear advice about contacting the police, if danger is present on YouTube, including threats being made to an individual.
Read the YouTube Terms of Service
As a parent, it is important to read the YouTube Terms of Service before letting a tween surf the channel. It clearly states:
"In any case, you affirm that you are over the age of 13, as the YouTube Website is not intended for children under 13."
To go one step further, YouTube strongly suggests that children under the age of 13 not even bother with the website (as paraphrased from the Terms of Service). This is written because there are no functions in place to stop tweens from surfing the website as non-members, and could likely stumble upon inappropriate videos easily. In fact, members must be at least 18 years of age to gain access to all features of the website.
Know Safe Channels to Visit
There are some shows on YouTube that are safe for tweens. Some of the more popular ones include:
- Tweens-R-Us
- Miley and Mandy Show
- Fred
- Selena and Demi Show
- Disney Tween Gossip
There are others as well. The key is to find appropriate shows while sitting with a tween, and not letting her find them alone. Once she has a good base of shows to watch, this should be all she needs for a while, and they can be placed in her Favorites to gain easy access to these shows.
What it comes down to is that parents are responsible for what websites a tween is allowed to view. While YouTube has some good information and pure fun for tweens, it is also a dark place where a tween could come across unwarranted videos rather easily. Stay involved and lay down rules to keep a tween safe on YouTube.
Find more Parenting Tweens articles on Suite101.
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