YouTube And Young Children

Question: My 4-year-old is obsessed with YouTube, but sometimes I’m not crazy about the video content. Is YouTube an appropriate place for my young child to spend their time? How might it affect their development?

Answer: Despite YouTube being extremely popular and having a wide range of content quality, very little is known about its impact on children. Most research studies have looked at video content quality, showing that most of the videos recommended on YouTube are not educational, are marketing products or may lead to recommendation of content that is inappropriate for young children within just a few clicks. For these reasons, families may wish to consider whether YouTube is the right fit for their child’s main media viewing or use it in situations where parents/caregivers are able to stay nearby and monitor what their child is watching.

What Parents Can Do

• If your child watches YouTube or YouTube Kids, be choosy about what videos and channels they watch. There are seemingly endless channels competing for your child’s attention, but many are not high-quality. Every family prefers different videos, but try to find channels where:
  • The characters/YouTubers are positive and kind.
  • They are not trying to sell your child anything or pressuring them to keep watching.
  • There are not too many ads that block the screen or interrupt the video.
  • You actually like watching along with your child (this is a good sign that the storyline is interesting or funny!).
  • Skip any kid-influencers who are showing off or being negative role models.
• For free video-playing apps with better-quality content, try switching to PBS KIDS Videos, Sensical or Noggin. You can see whether your child behaves any differently!

Age: Preschool, 3-5 years, Early Childhood, Middle Childhood

Topics: YouTube, Videos

Role: Parent/Caregiver