There are many videos on the video hosting platform which are not suitable for children and teenagers. They contain mature themes, adult language and other things which are unsuitable for children. In addition to that there are some features in YouTube which allow creating the environment which is safer for kids.
Reasons to Use Parental Controls
As you know children are curious individuals who like trying everything. With the help of the autoplay and YouTube recommendations feature it might be quite hard to protect kids from inappropriate content. Parental controls allow adding an extra layer of protection for kids.
Special Tools for Parental Controls
Here you can find a list of special tools in YouTube which are used for controlling the videos which are viewed by kids.
- YouTube Kids App – special application for kids which displays only appropriate videos.
- Restricted Mode – special filter which is available in the main YouTube application which hides videos with mature themes.
- Supervised Accounts – special Google feature which allows creating a managed content creation experience for kids.
- Google Family Link – comprehensive parental control tool which allows managing the screen time, applications and other filters in Google services.
- Content Approval – if the account is supervised by parents then parents can either approve or block some channels and videos.
Activating YouTube Kids
Here you can find the guide how to activate the YouTube Kids:
- Application Installation – install the YouTube Kids application from Google Play or Apple App Store.
- Profile Creation – create the profile of your kid in this application and choose his/her age in order to receive age-appropriate recommendations.
- Choosing the Content Level – choose between Preschool, Younger and Older according to the age of your kid.
- Setting the Passcode – set the parental passcode in order to prevent kids from changing the settings and access to the main YouTube application.
- Setting the Timer – limit the screen time of your kid.
Usage of the Restricted Mode for Older Kids
If your kid uses the main YouTube application then you can activate the Restricted Mode which will hide all the inappropriate content. This filter hides videos with mature themes, adult language and other sensitive topics. Although this filter does not guarantee 100% safety but it is impossible to watch inappropriate content. You can activate the Restricted Mode in the settings of the YouTube application in the General tab.
Parental Controls in YouTube Vanced
YouTube Vanced also has the Restricted Mode which is available in the official YouTube application. This filter hides the inappropriate content which allows watching videos in the ad-free environment. Removal of the ads is required for kids because the ads on YouTube are created for adults.
The settings of the account and Restricted Mode can be synchronized in Vanced MicroG.
Additional Tips for Parents
- Watch Videos with Kids – watch videos with your kids in order to understand what videos do they watch.
- Check the Watch History – check the watch history of your kid in order to find potentially inappropriate videos.
- Have a Conversation – have a conversation with your kids about how they should behave if they see something inappropriate.
- Block Unwanted Channels – block the channels which you consider inappropriate in order to avoid their recommendations to your kids.
- Limit the Screen Time – limit the daily screen time of your kid in order to avoid occupation of the time by YouTube.
Who Will Benefit from Parental Controls
- Families with Young Kids – families with preschool and elementary school kids which use YouTube.
- Families with Teenagers – families which want to use filters for their kids without complete restriction of the access.
- Multi-Use Devices – families which use one device for both adults and kids.
- Educators – teachers which use YouTube in the classroom and require filters.
Conclusion
Creation of the safe YouTube environment for kids involves the usage of parental controls and parental monitoring. YouTube Kids, Restricted Mode, supervised accounts and Family Link provide an additional layer of protection which prevents kids from watching inappropriate content. YouTube Vanced provides removal of the ads which might be inappropriate for young kids.
