YouTube Kids

Parents need to know that YouTube Kids is a kid-targeted portal to YouTube aimed at preschoolers to tweens that features curated, ad-supported TV shows, music, educational videos, and user-created content. It's worth noting that since there are regular updates, the channels and videos are always subject to change. The app continues to draw lots of public scrutiny and controversy for including some clearly inappropriate videos and ads (with nudity, alcohol, and profanity), as well as fast food and junk food ads that push unhealthy food (some of which look a lot more like entertainment than advertising, making it hard for kids to know they're being marketed to). If parents sign up for a YouTube Red subscription, there are no ads, and kids can watch offline. Families can also access it via television, depending on their device.

Though much of the content most kids will encounter isn't problematic, the fact that any made it into the rotation means YouTube's curation process isn't perfect (details of how titles are curated are slim; publicly, Google says it's "a mix of automated analysis and user input"), so adult oversight is key. Parental control features are available -- such as a timer, the ability to block videos or channels, and a way to disable the search feature -- and parents can create their own passcodes. Also, parents can set up accounts for their kids that are pre-populated with content customized for their child's age: Parents can select "Younger" for videos geared toward the preschool and early elementary set and "Older" to include content for kids age 9 through 12, like more gaming and music videos. Note that if you choose "Older," there is a warning that kids will see more mature content; it can include words like "f--k," scantily clad dancers, and mildly sexy content, though direct searches for those things don't work. For more control, parents can customize exactly what videos their children see by creating an account with the  "Approved Content Only" setting, where parents whitelist specific channels and videos that kids can view. Kids can set their own passcode to keep siblings out of their profile, but parents can override it or create it themselves. In addition to direct, kid-targeted ads, the app has whole channels dedicated to products such as Hasbro toys, Lego, and even McDonald's, as well as lots of videos in which kids can watch someone "unbox" a wide variety of toys. Some videos have mild cartoon violence, potentially creepy images, and somewhat suggestive content (crotch-grabbing during a Michael Jackson dance tutorial, for instance). Parents may want to talk with their kids about the product- and brand-centered channels before letting kids find them on their own and monitor kids' viewing in case adult content sneaks through. Bottom line? Though YouTube Kids is well made and fun to use and offers a lot of videos that are perfectly fine for kids, the outliers and the frequency of branded content mean it's essential for parents to stay involved -- just as with any media product that contains ads or potentially iffy content. Read the developer's privacy policy for details on how your (or your kids') information is collected, used, and shared and any choices you may have in the matter, and note that privacy policies and terms of service frequently change.