YouTube Safety Tips for Kids

What Parents Need to Know

Should Kids Even Be on YouTube?

YouTube can be an incredible place for learning, creativity, and entertainment—but let’s be honest, it’s also full of content that isn’t always kid-friendly. From inappropriate language to strange algorithm rabbit holes, things can go sideways fast.

At CyberGuard Families, we believe in empowering parents—not scaring them. So if your child watches YouTube (and let’s face it, most do), here are simple, effective ways to make it a safer experience for everyone.

If your child is under 13, we highly recommend using the YouTube Kids app instead of the regular YouTube platform. This kid-friendly version features curated content, stronger content filters, and parental controls that let you set viewing time, block specific videos, and even hand-pick what your child can watch. While it’s not perfect, it’s a much safer alternative designed with young viewers in mind—and it gives parents more control and peace of mind.

7 YouTube Safety Tips Every Parent Should Know

1. Use YouTube Kids for Younger Viewers
YouTube Kids is designed specifically for children under 13, with built-in filters, curated content, and parental control options. It’s not perfect, but it’s a much safer starting point.

2. Set Up a Supervised Experience
For older kids who have moved beyond YouTube Kids, you can create a supervised account linked to your own Google account. This allows you to control what content they see and track their activity.

3. Turn on Restricted Mode
On the regular YouTube app, you can enable Restricted Mode in settings to help hide potentially mature or harmful content. It’s not foolproof, but it filters out most flagged videos.

4. Disable Autoplay
Autoplay can lead kids from harmless cartoons to weird or inappropriate content in just a few clicks. Turning it off gives them a clear stopping point and prevents accidental wandering.

5. Watch Together When You Can
Co-viewing is a great way to stay involved in what your kids are watching. Ask questions like: “What do you like about this video?” or “Do you think that behavior was okay?” It opens up great conversations about values and online behavior.

6. Manage Screen Time
Set daily limits for YouTube (you can do this through most parental control apps or device settings). Don’t forget to balance screen time with outdoor play, reading, and family interaction.

7. Talk About Online Safety
Remind kids not to click on strange links, leave comments, or share personal information. Even if they’re not posting, they need to know that not everything or everyone on YouTube is safe.