YouTube and Your Kids
Some Facts to Know
- Kids ages 3-11 streamed more video content than their parents in the first half of 2008
- YouTube launched in 2005, and was purchased by Google in fall 2006 for 1.65 billion dollars.
- YouTube videos account for 10 percent of all Internet traffic, according to analysts Ellacoya Networks.
- Kids are supposed to be 13 to use YouTube (according to their site)
- YouTube is a great place to showcase creativity
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Advice and Answers
What is YouTube?
YouTube is a site that allows users to upload and share original videos. It's a popular place to go to see the latest silly Internet video that everyone's talking about. The great majority of videos are of concert footage, sporting events, bootlegged commercial video, and homemade movies. Posting video is really simple. And directions are right on the site.So, what's the big deal?
YouTube is a bit like Google in that anything -- from fabulous to icky - can be uploaded or viewed. There's lots of mature content, but more likely, kids will see videos of other kids -- sometimes at their rock band performances -- others when they are acting out. There are more than 33 pages of videos showing girl fights. And you really don't want your kids posting videos that can get them in trouble or hurt other people.Because it's easy to comment on any video, kids can see all sorts of nonsense. Bottom line? YouTube can be a fabulously creative medium -- a place where kids can showcase their lives. But it's only as responsible as the person uploading videos.Common Sense Advice
Go to YouTube and see for yourself. You will be able to have a much more open and informed discussion once you've seen for yourself. YouTube postings are best for 14and up. YouTube says kids 13 to 17 are welcome with permission from a parent or guardian – but you have to decide when you think your kids are ready for it.
Check your kids’ URL history. See if they’ve been visiting the site. If so, ask them what they like about it. Ask your kids if they’ve ever posted anything, and if so, what? You should also check your kids MySpace pages and see if there are links to any of their YouTube postings.
Make sure they know the rules. Tell your kids to protect their identities. No-nos for videos include license plate numbers, images of your house, their bedrooms, or their school. Make sure that none of their “tags”(search identifiers) reveal their real names, locations, schools, or anything else that could lead unsavory types to their doors.
Watch their videos. If you allow your kids to post, ask that they let you check it out their videos before they go live. They may not agree, but it never hurts to ask. Remind your kids that posting videos can be really fun, but they never know who is watching. YouTube has millions of viewers all over the world.
Be aware of privacy concerns. Tell your kids to mark their videos as “private” so that only friends can watch them. You can figure out how to do this by going to the “Safety Tips” link at the bottom of all YouTube pages.
Check in. Forbidding older teens to post may force them underground. You want to make sure your kids feel comfortable coming to you if something or someone on the site bothers them. Make sure kids know to check in if they see something that’s hateful, pornographic, or violent; you can report it, if they don’t want to. YouTube is a self-policing site, so encourage your kids to make it safe for others.
I go on this site about every day im 9 if u didnt know. This site can be VERY bad but mostly launguage and I'm on youtube right now!
i make sure i watch appropriate stuff but there is a lot of bad stuff out there that kids shouldnt be watching i have clicked on lots of videos like that i really only like watch funny stuff with people falling off trampolines or treadmills or music videos or like how to cook or how to dance i also watch my siblings on the computer im the oldest, shouldnt i be looking out for them?
why do you care what they wach. they know what they can and cant wach. i mean its not like kids go and just read every single comment under the video. half the time i dnt even read the comments. and i hav a youtube account. i post videos on it all the time. mines toriluvsgym0618
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wow i find it hilarious that this is under the "highschool" section. 8 year olds use youtube. it should be in the 1st grade section. and...bedrooms? honestly? what harm will a pic of your kids' BED do?
this is pretty funny. just give up parents. if you have an 11 year old girl, yes MAYBE she's a good girl and will just search videos of Miley Cyrus screeching or something. but come on, face it. your 13 year old boy is watching porn. the sooner you accept it the sooner you can get on with your control-freakish life.
Face it: All video posters are going to have some haters. You can't shield a kid from having haters... EVER. Not just on YouTube. You can't hide from negative comments anywhere. Plus, who cares about the opinions of people you don't know online?
My daughter went on a very innocent Youtube video - one of the 'tween' singers she likes. In the comment section was a VERY explicit description of various ways the commenter would like to have sex with this singer. I saw the post about how kids hear bad language at school - this went way beyond that - think Penthouse Letters!
Have also had trouble in our neighborhood with some of the boys posting insults and demeaning comments to each others Youtube account. Many of the parents didn't even know their child had a Youtube account.
As an alternative, I let my kids watch Kideo Cafe (www.kideocafe.com). The user interface mimics YouTube, but the content is geared towards children.
puppets22 the guy who left the bad comment is getting more and more popular just beacause of this video.
I like to watch videogame freak out videos and funny pet videos and music videos and other stuff my dads worried that I watch porn and other stuff about sex beacaus I got an X rated po up just the other day while on youtube.
Youtube is a very fun website for most "tweens" and teens. To parents who are worried about language they might see from comments, your tweens/teens hear it all over their school all the time, but you wouldn't block them from school would you? Of course not.
YouTube RULES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
easy some videos they can watch and some cant it is my 2nd favorite website in the world after homestar runner . com of corse and lady TAKE IT EASY DONT LET YOUR KIDS READ THE COMMITS i mostly only watch fred tv shows video game play roy d mercer music and homestar runner videos unless my friend wants me to see something like a cool movie trailer
God they're rich!
YouTube PWNS!
My 10 year old son was watching a perfectly harmless cartoon video that a friend wanted to show him. I was there, and when they walked away, I scrolled down the page; the comments had disgusting language, and lots of it. And the ads are totally inappropriate for kids. Some of his friends can watch YouTube any time they want; not him. Parents, check out the whole site before you decide to let your kids see it -- yes, they will eventually, but it doesn't have to be at 10.
youtube is rich
what about letting your kids put videos on YouTube - would you allow that?
i am 11, and i admit i use youtube but only to listen to music. i never look up anything innapropriate, just song music or pictures of my fave celebs. i make sure to just stick with the things i wouldn't be afraid of my mom to see, since she is usually with me. lol
i bet 55%
Are you joking?! What do you people have against kids watching videos? And if kids watch videos that are "hateful, pornographic, or violent" they should just go to a different video calmly and not be running to you scared. Why don't you realize that kids won't go looking at "bad" videos if you leave them alone. If you don't let them watch "bad" videos, they will be more curious and get angry with you. So just STOP IT!
The comments are usually worse than the videos. I've seen some videos that are fine for all ages, but the comments under them are nasty. I'd keep kids away from YouTube, because even clips from kids' shows can have bad language in the comments.
I personally would monitor any elementary age child looking at youtube. Parents should also be aware that the "comments" sections under the videos (on lower left under the screen) may have some really racist, hateful and/or profane comments, and those do not appear to be monitored in any way.
Ads appearing in the margins also may be inappropriate for small children.
I'm coordinating some international research on how young people (10-17) use YouTube. We're collecting several thousand questionnaires from seven EU countries. One of the questions we ask is whether minors acess videos rated for over-18s on YouTube. Any guesses on what the % is turning out to be??
Luison
I really just don't care what my kids watch on youtube. They have the thing set so they can't see "content marked as innapropriate" and if I need to I can check their browsing history.
Definitely watch You Tube with them. Lots of unexpected photos and words can appear in the "Related Videos" column.
I won't let my kids just surf YouTube indiscriminately but they do hear a lot about funny videos from kids in school that I am not always thrilled about. Since we only have one laptop, and it's mine I am pretty vigilant about their use of YouTube; I also know well that not everything on the site is appropriate. But we have had a lot of fun surfing it together and finding amusing videos.
I do not agree. There are many videos that can be educational and present fun activities for kids. I once had a school project that I was confused on and I found several videos that helped me.
i am 11 and is see disney
I think kids under 14 should not be allowed to post anything on youtube nor should they be allowed to use youtube. Youtube is a very dangerous site for kids.
My son is barely four but loves to watch truck and train videos on YouTube. We always sit with him as he watches to make sure nothing inappropriate comes up. In general, we find the videos to vary in quality but rarely do we find anything offensive (at least when sticking to a search for heavy machinery). Its easy to accidently click on something else though and end up in the wrong place. So supervision is key in my opinion!
I am very strict about giving my kids access to YouTube. I have watched educational videos like a music demonstration with them.