In context: YouTube has a massive audience of over 2.7 billion monthly users, with a significant number being teenagers and even younger viewers. The platform has had a profound social impact but has faced criticism for promoting misinformation, copyright violations, and compromising children’s safety.
YouTube is not a completely safe space for sensitive subjects or minors, and the company acknowledges this. They have been fined for breaching the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act in the past and are now working on providing better supervision for teens’ online activities.
Recently, YouTube introduced a new collaborative approach to teen supervision, allowing parents to monitor their children’s activities on the platform more closely. This supervised experience is a step towards enhancing parental control and ensuring a safer online environment for teens.
Parents and teens can link their accounts through the Family Center hub, where parents can access insights into their children’s video uploads, subscriptions, and comments. The platform will also send proactive email notifications about key events on the account.
The new supervision feature aims to promote informed and responsible online behavior among teens, with both parents and teens having control over the shared insights. This approach is designed to empower teens while addressing parental concerns about online safety.
YouTube consulted with experts in child development to ensure that the supervision capabilities align with principles of youth protection. The platform seeks to create a balance between respecting teens’ autonomy and addressing parental worries about online risks.
Ellen Selkie, an assistant professor of pediatrics, emphasizes the importance of providing teens with space to make their own choices and explore their identities online. She advocates for a collaborative approach between parents and teens, which aligns with YouTube’s new supervised experience.
