“YouTube can be a lot of fun, but it’s no place for kids - of any age - to roam alone,” says Lori Getz, a cyber education consultant and author of “ The Tech Savvy User’s Guide to the Digital World.” “Content on YouTube is user-created, which means anyone can put anything they want on the site. (Note: YouTube says the site is for kids 13 and up and there is a YouTube Kids platform that provides enhanced parental controls.)īut the million-dollar question is whether allowing YouTube for kids (with or without autoplay) is a safe or problematic activity. According to a 2020 Pew Research Center study, 80% of parents with kids 11 and under let their child watch YouTube, with 53% of this group noting this happens daily.
Whether you’re the parent of a teenager with their own smartphone or have a curious preschooler under your roof, there’s a good chance YouTube plays a role in your family’s screen time.
