unsaveSave
expand-left
full screenYoutube launches new tools for parents and teenagers on the platform. Archive image. Photo: Magnus Lejhall/TT
YouTube is launching the ability for parents and teens to link their accounts to encourage dialogue about content. The company is also making changes to limit how often young people can see content with “unhealthy body ideals”.
The goal is to contribute to the well-being of teenagers on the platform.
The update is about giving parents tools to support teenagers in using the platform.
Parents and teens can now link their accounts and receive shared notifications. The parent receives a notification when the teen starts a live broadcast or uploads a video. Even some channel activity such as subscriptions and comments will be shared if you use the tool.
– We want to encourage a commitment between the parent and the teenager, it should help in conversations about content. The essence is to help the teenager develop independence but also help in decision-making, says Garth Graham, director of Youtube Health, to TT.
Stops some videos
The debate about social media contributing to skewed body ideals, especially among young girls, has been going on for a long time. Youtube now wants to restrict a type of videos that they believe can be harmful in large quantities.
Part of the update is now about young people no longer being able to repeatedly be recommended videos that “compare physical characteristics” or content with “specific weight and exercise”.
“This is important because teenagers are more likely than adults to form negative self-concepts when they see repeated messages about body ideals in content they consume online,” says James Baser, director of product development at YouTube Kids.
“Big difference in the driving forces in
Like many platforms, YouTube’s business model is based on the user staying and continuing to watch videos, but that has not affected the company’s work in developing the new update, Baser believes.
– When it comes to young people, we have a different approach. The health, safety and well-being of young people is one of the most important things for us. There is a big difference in the driving forces internally when it comes to the various departments, he claims.
The changes in YouTube’s service took place in the USA in November, but are only coming to Sweden now.
According to the report “Swedes and the Internet 2023” by the Internet Foundation, a third of Swedes use YouTube every day. Among the 00 and 10 listers, two out of three are on YouTube daily.