Your kid wants a YouTube channel and claims that “everyone does it”.
Reading: How to create a safe youtube channel
I don’t know about you, but I do can’t remember “Creating a YouTube channel” topic in any of the parenting books I’ve read over the years. Like it or not, parenting today requires us to think outside the box and learn the tools that our kids use to communicate.
I’ve been a blogger and social media consultant for about 8 years now, so when my daughter approached me about a YouTube channel, I assumed it was a “girl thing” since YouTube seems like a social activity, however after chatting with some friends I quickly realized I was wrong as both boys al s girls want to create YouTube accounts too (and most parents aren’t sure how to help them get started). Is this really a good idea?
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What do kids post on their YouTube channel?
Having a YouTube channel is a fun way for kids , to express oneself. It also helps them develop skills like acting, broadcasting, and editing. Children no longer sit in front of the television and wait for their favorite show, they create their own videos or watch videos. Some kids are trying to become the next YouTube star, like 8-year-old Evan with over 2 million subscribers and 3 trillion views, by doing toy reviews. Most YouTube videos made by kids fall into different categories:
- How-To
- Sports Highlights
- Homemade videos (jokes, parodies or skits)
- Product reviews (e.g. toys)
Tips for protecting your children on YouTubeEven if you have a fun YouTube channel, it’s important that parents follow a few guidelines to keep them safe online. Here are some tips on how to keep your kids safe while letting their creativity run wild.
1. Sign up with a parent’s email account. If your child is under 13, they must use a parent’s email address to set up a YouTube account. If they are over 13, you should also use a parent’s email address to receive alerts and notifications.
2. Use a screen name instead of their real name. For privacy reasons, make sure your children use a fictitious name (or at least their first name only). You should never disclose your personal information such as address or phone number.
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3. Disable the ability to comment.Opening comments only opens a can of worms that can lead to cyberbullying, trolling, and more. In fact, YouTube has been blamed for the recent increase in cyberbullying. Limit this problem by disabling comments entirely.
4. Monitor videos.Before your child starts posting YouTube videos, see what they’re doing with the videos and make sure other kids can watch it comfortably and appropriately.
5. Sign a family contract about house rules for using social media and mobile devices.This is a good starting point for a general conversation about using electronic and social media.
6. Change the privacy settings to Private or Unlisted.YouTube offers users three choices for privacy settings: Private, Public, and Unlisted.
- Public is the default and that means everyone can see your video.
- Private means only those you invite to watch the video , watch it (they must have their own YouTube accounts and the maximum is 50 usernames). Only people on the list can view your video and the video will not appear in search results or in your channel list.
- Unlisted means your video will not appear in search results or on your channel either. In this mode, only those who know the link can see it, and you can share the link with anyone, even those who don’t have a YouTube account/username. But be careful who you give the link to as the video can still be seen by anyone with the link!
Talk to your kids about online safety, using Parental controls and creating rights settings give today’s digital parents some peace of mind while still giving your kids the freedom to be creative.
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