14 Mar 2025

YouTube Announces Updates to Its Teen Safety Tools

YouTube Announces Updates to Its Teen Safety Tools

YouTube has introduced new safety features for teen users, including extra third-party resources to promote safer and more mindful online viewing habits. First, YouTube has teamed up with the American Psychological Association (APA) to release a new guide for parents. The guide includes proven tips to help teens develop healthy video-watching habits.

Managing today’s connected world can be hard because screen time is now an important part of social life, sometimes as important as meeting in person. This is very different from what most parents experienced when they were growing up. Guides like this, based on lots of research, can help parents understand how to protect their kids from the risks of being online.

YouTube has also announced new safety rules, which were created with help from its Youth and Family Advisory Committee. This committee is made up of experts in child development, digital media, mental health, and online learning.

YouTube’s latest updates, based on the committee’s advice, are:

New safeguards on repeated topical exposure:

YouTube has set limits on content about body image and social aggression because it worries that too much exposure to these topics can harm teens. Now, it has also added videos about bad behavior and videos showing teens doing mean pranks to the list of content that will be limited for teens.

Increasing the prominence of ’Take a Break” reminders:

YouTube’s also making its “Take a Break” reminders harder to ignore for teens by expanding them to take up the full screen. These reminders will automatically appear every 60 minutes for teens under 18. YouTube is also adding a bedtime reminder set for 10 pm, but users can change the settings if they want.

Parental advisory based on viewing history:

Finally, YouTube is adding a new feature to its Family Center, which will send parents email updates about their child’s viewing activity. It will also include links to resources to help parents talk to their teens about responsible content. These updates are based on the latest research on teen health and give parents more ways to make sure their children are staying safe online.

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