YouTube Kids: Is It Safe for Kids? A Complete Guide

Abeerah Hashim  - Security Expert
Last updated: January 8, 2024
Read time: 18 minutes
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YouTube Kids is a relatively new version of YouTube featuring content for children. Online safety is always the first priority, and it’s even more critical when children are involved. This article explains how a concerned parent can use the features YouTube Kids provides to enhance user security to ensure their peace of mind.

THE TAKEAWAYS

The internet is here to stay, and the children of the world are using it to the chagrin of many a parent in the world. There are plenty of websites and apps aimed at younger audiences, but there is always a doubt about how suitable those resources really are for children. YouTube joined the trend of tapping the most youthful demographics by launching YouTube Kids. But can a parent be confident about his children using YouTube Kids? How can you make it safer for kids? Let us tell you all about it.

YouTube includes plenty of channels aimed at the world’s younger audiences. They are among the world’s largest communication channels regarding subscribers and number of views. Did you know that?

Well, YouTube does know. There is a lot of business potential catering to the internet’s kids. That’s why the video streaming giant launched YouTube Kids in 2015.

There is no doubt that children love to watch videos on YouTube, more so on YouTube Kids, where videos are interesting, high quality, and kid-friendly. YouTube Kids, however, has been criticized for its overly branded content, advertising, and inappropriate clips like pornographic and violent footage.

So the fact that YouTube Kids is online raises the inevitable question: is it safe for children? What risks does it pose to kids? Does it have any parental controls? What are they? This article will answer those questions and many others pertaining to this video platform.

YouTube Kids: What is it? How does it differ from regular YouTube?

YouTube Kids is a version of YouTube aimed at reaching internet users younger than 13 years old. You can use it as a website or as a free app. The typical content on the platform includes TV shows, music, educational resources, and user-generated videos explicitly done for children.