Youtube - safe for 7yr old?

[ABudafulSightWereHappyTonight]

7yr old DS was watching Mr Bean at school yesterday on Youtube and now wants to do so at home. Am now worst mummy in the world ever ever as i won't let him until I find out if it is safe! Are there ways of making it safer? I have never really watched it other than through links on here but know enough to know that he could see unsuitable stuff.

[smartiejakeonachristmascake]

There is loads and loads of really unsuitable stuff on You tube. I would never let a child have access to it with out some sort of Net Nanny thing installed.

We have cyber patrol on our kids PCs and find it very reliable.

[whoingodsnameami]

Not sure if you can put a parental control on youtube, alot of videaos show things inappropriate for children, swearing, violence also sexual suggestions, however porn is againsed youtube rules, so you should'nt find any of that on there.

[donnie]

don't do it - bad idea.

[deckthegirlandboywithholly]

It's not necessarily the images that worry me, but all the swearing in the comments.

My dd (13) watches bits on youtube, but I police her like a maniac.

Don't like all the bad language.

[DasherDancerPrancerFMVixen]

I have had problems with my 8 year old and lego animations and swearing etc...

[ABudafulSightWereHappyTonight]

Ok - nothing I didn't sort of know. Now to have words with teacher!!! Sigh.

[ByThePowerOfBaileys]

I would not let my 7 year old access it without supervision, very easily there is adult style content even without looking too hard.
HOWEVER we go on there alot with DS1 (4) to watch the muppets and all sorts of stuff.

Enjoy!

[ABudafulSightWereHappyTonight]

Are you worried your DS would try to do it himself? We let DS use the computer himself for some things - sports etc.

[ByThePowerOfBaileys]

No am not - he is only little and the only time he has access to the internet is supervised CBeebies website or when we do Youtube together.

I am sure it will get harder as he gets older though

[happymostofthetime]

We let our 7 yr old use you tube but heavily supervised. There is some really good stuff on there for them.

[DoubleBluff]

DS1 is 8 and like watching the wrestling on there adn cartoons, but i am always hovering and checking

[ABudafulSightWereHappyTonight]

My worry is that he would access it when I am not in the room.

[TheDevilWearsPrimark]

The people who comment on youtube are frightfully ignorant.

The very worst things require a log in and password, but that's easily enough done and you just have to tick a box to say you are over 18.

Google video might be better?

[ABudafulSightWereHappyTonight]

What's that then TDWP? (Dinosaur emoticon needed!)

[WilfsElf]

I would not let my 9 yo use Youtbe unsupervised or even freely with me in the room (in case he clicked a link I hadn't seen first...)

[TheDevilWearsPrimark]

Search for anything in google and under 'more' there's a video option. They link from youtube, but you can't see the comments etc.

as an example

video.google.co.uk/videosearch?rlz=1C1GGLS_en-GBGB292GB303&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=mr%20bean&um=1 &sa=N&tab=wv#

[ABudafulSightWereHappyTonight]

Thanks TDWP!!! That looks ok.

Will still make sure he can only do it supervised.

[NCRedBreastedBirdy]

err... my ds who is 6 years old and he regularly goes onto youtube to find songs and videos by his favorite singers. I didn't show him how, he was playing music in the computer and I asked him how he said he just typed the name of the group into google and went onto youtube. He was very pleased because he had found a load of others by the same group once on the site.

doesn't even cover how surprised I was! I just thanked my lucky stars that I have good saftey stuff on my computer!

However, my point is, don't underestimate your child, at 7 they are more than capable of getting onto youtube themselves!

[NCRedBreastedBirdy]

I wouldn't let him use it unsupervised, this was a one off where he surprised me with his knowledge.

Do you have filtering software? If you do then that clip should have been kept out

[Amapoleon]

I let my 7 year old but she is closely supervised. I have told her not to open anything that isn't the exact words she put in because it might be something scary. She mainly looks at Hannah Montana and HSM.

Saying that she put in dogs the other day and videos of dogs copulating with humans came up. Luckily I was looking over her shoulder and whizzed it away.

[OmegaMummy]

I was on it with my sons and entered transformers - not only did we see some 'transformers' robots in disguise also had some links to some transvestites !

[ginnny]

NO NO NO!!!
My ds1 was about 7 when looking up something about fish (can't remember why) it bought up a You Tube thing with lovely fish swimming around for a few seconds ... followed a huge terrifying clown type thing screeching out of the screen at him. He jumped out of his skin and gave him nightmares.
We also got caught by the lego scenes, seeming innocent but then full of swearing.
I only let him see things now if I have checked them first - then he gets to watch them.

[ABudafulSightWereHappyTonight]

It really is a minefield isn't it?

He hasn't actually mentioned it for a while so I will leave it alone I think.

I am shocked enough that he is going around talking about snogging!

[purpleduckUnderTheMistletoe]

Absolutely not!
My dd and I were on Youtube awhile ago, and we were looking at "Laughing Babies" and on one clip the baby turns into the girl from The Ring. Scared the crap out of me, but luckily I was there to explain that it wasn't real etc.