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  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 11, age appropriate for kids over 14; suggested age 13.

  • Is it any good?

    4.0

  • Common Sense says

    The world's stage -- supervision required.

On this site kids can:   create a social network, create and share content, post comments, watch videos
updated 08.20.09

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 13–14

The good stuff

  • Educational value:

    YouTube has plenty of educational videos, whether or not anyone really learns anything from them is a judgment call. Certainly the goal of the site has nothing to do with education.
 

What to watch out for

  • Online interaction:

    A mixed bag. Some of the user comments model negative online behavior.

  • User-created content:

    Almost anything that's been taped or animated finds its way onto YouTube. A lot of it is good -- even great -- but because the site does not rate for age-appropriateness, you never know when you'll stumble across a landmine in the form of inappropriate content, user comments, or ads.

  • Messages:

    Videos don't always show the best role models. But then again, the site encourages creativity, especially artistic creativity.

  • Violence:

    There are violent videos, including violent anime. Many videos aren't violent at all.

  • Sex:

    Although you can't automatically get to the porn videos without logging in, anyone can lie about their age and get an account.

  • Language:

    Language in the videos and viewer comments is often crude and lewd. But some videos don't have any profanity at all.

  • Consumerism:

    There are ads -- even iffy ones -- but the spirit of the site is more about independent creators sharing homemade videos. Still, movie and music promoters use YouTube for marketing purposes.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    References to all kinds of substances in some of the videos and user comments.
 

How safe is it?

  • Personal privacy:

    If you create your own channel on YouTube, you can keep your videos completely closed to anyone but your selected friends. The site offers a tiered level of privacy for members, but kids should be very aware of the fact that if they or their friends upload videos of themselves doing something regrettable that the video can be viewed by vast anonymous audiences (including teachers or potential employers).

  • Parental controls:

    There are no parent controls but if parents are "friends" with their kid on YouTube then they can see what their kid is uploading if their kid gives them viewing privileges.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About YouTube

Parents need to know that anyone can view anything on this video-sharing site. Because the videos aren't rated for age-appropriateness, you never know what you're going to get. That’s part of the fun of the YouTube -- but it makes it hard to know what your kids are viewing unless you're supervising. But it's not just the video content that's a concern. User comments can be rude and negative, and even benign searches can return X-rated results. Still, YouTube remains one of the most creative outlets on the Web, offering kids myriad ways to exercise their creativity.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Preschool: From The Wiggles to Sesame Street, lots of preschool shows have dedicated channels on YouTube. To avoid finding videos that might be inappropriate, stick to shows you know or preview them before showing your preschooler. Learn about the effects of scary movies on kids and always sit with preschoolers while they use the computer.
  • Elementary school: Kids this age love to find silly stuff on YouTube -- especially with their friends -- but they can also stumble across age-inappropriate material. Learn more about managing their YouTube use. Also, reinforce the importance of Internet Safety.
  • Middle school: As kids start developing their own interests, they may gravitate towards digital media creation -- a hobby you can feel good about nurturing, as long as they're smart about how they use YouTube.
  • High school: If teens are following the rules of good Internet behavior, you can allow them a certain level of independence in using YouTube. See why it's still important to remain vigilant about YouTube in the teen years.
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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Kid Reviewer Age 11
    Diaryofawimpykid
    I rate this title on for age 13 and give it 5.0
    My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language

    Good Site! Watch Sex

    It's not that bad, unless you run into a sexy video. It's fine.Someone calls himself Boob instead of Bob.

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate
  2. Parent Reviewer
    Human
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 5.0
    • My highlights are:
    • Educational
    • Positive messages
    • Safety isn't an issue
    • User content is age appropriate

    perfecy for all ages

    Youtube makes happy

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate
  3. Kid Reviewer Age 11
    HyperUltraSonic
    I rate this title off for age 17 and give it 1.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language
    • Excessive consumerism
    • Drinking, smoking, or drug use
    • Negative message
    • Safety is an issue
    • User content isn't age appropriate

    Not good

    i hate Youtube.

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate
  4. Parent Reviewer
    gamenerd323
    I rate this title iffy for age 11 and give it 5.0

    Youtube is great

    If they can read and not look watch porn, there fine!

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate
  5. Teen Reviewer Age 16
    Demarreye
    I rate this title on for age 16 and give it 5.0
    My concerns are:
    • Safety is an issue

    • My highlights are:
    • Educational

    I like it because it doesn't have bad thing on the web site.

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate

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