YouTube has announced that YouTube Kids, its separate platform that provides safer access for children, has amassed more than 35 million weekly users.
YouTube Kids will also receive new parental controls throughout 2021, including the ability for parents to approve specific videos and channels from the main YouTube platform.
What Is YouTube Kids?
YouTube Kids is a separate YouTube app and website designed specifically to create a safe space for children to explore.
As a parent, you can control your child’s experience: decide what content they can watch, set a screen timer, block videos or channels, and more.
You can create up to eight different profiles, each of which can be assigned an age range that only shows content suitable for that group. For example, the “Preschool” mode curates videos that promote creativity and learning, while the “Older” mode lets children explore popular music and gaming content.
To be extra cautious, you can also check the viewing history of your child, just to ensure they haven’t accidentally stumbled across something inappropriate. If they have, you can use the filtering controls to remove them seeing similar content in the future.
Outside the app, YouTube has curated resources that help you talk to your child about their online habits and what it means to stay safe online.
YouTube Kids Has 35 Million Weekly Viewers
As announced on the YouTube blog, YouTube Kids now has over 35 million weekly viewers across more than 80 countries.
YouTube Kids launched in 2015 for Android and iOS and the platform has continued to grow since then. A web-based version became available in August 2019, which helped speed up growth.
In 2021, YouTube plans to roll out new parental tools. This includes a feature that lets parents add specific videos and channels from YouTube to their child’s YouTube Kids experience.
Of course, this puts greater responsibility on the parent to ensure that whatever channel they add continues to provide appropriate content for their child.
It’s similar to how Spotify Kids recently added shared playlists controlled by parents.
The Best YouTube Channels for Kids
Internet safety for youngsters is paramount and using YouTube Kids helps ensure that your children are only viewing content suitable for them.
As a parent, you should take some time to explore what YouTube channels are available that help inform and entertain children. When YouTube Kids releases its new parental controls, you can then add these channels to the safe list for your children to enjoy.