Banning YouTube has been the best parenting decision I’ve made recently.

[Cadela]

Dd only had kids YouTube but even with the approved channels I allowed her to watch for an hour max a day her behaviour has been so so so much better since I completely banned it.

It was rough for the first few days where she was having meltdowns about it. I just repeated sorry darling, but no YouTube. And it’s been 2 months now and she only speaks about it wistfully - “oh mum remember when you used to let me watch YouTube?”

Honestly if you’re on the fence it’s so so so worth it!! Dd has prime, Netflix and Disney plus and honestly whilst she’s in the house YouTube will never go back on. Best thing I’ve ever done.

So having said we ban YouTube, I do have it (hidden) on the TV and we’ll choose educational stuff to sit down and watch together. Or on a miserable day there are various active games which occasionally save the day!

Different content is definitely different. Everything in Disney has at least a vague storyline and normally a moral. The YouTube stuff my kids would watch for hours is just kids playing with toys etc, they turn in to little zombies while watching it, or start demanding toys, which isn’t something we normally have an issue with. When I’ve allowed them to watch this stuff they have a shorter fuse for the rest of the day too.

There is nothing wrong with skipping adverts!

I've been doing it for around 25 years. Muting it if watching live TV, walking out the room for 3-5 mins, fast forward if you can, skip if you can, do whatever you can do avoid them.

Absolutely couldn't agree more, OP! I deleted YouTube from DD5's tablet last weekend and the change in her attitude is immense! I don't mind her watching a bit of Netflix or Disney but there is just too much crap on YT, even the kids one! We had similar withdrawal type behaviour for 24 hours after but generally I've got my nice little girl back! And after seeing the thread about people who believe they are wolves and suchlike earlier this morning, I don't think she will ever be having YT back.

Plus my kids play Roblox, watch youTube, are nice kids and happy to help around the house - plus they are soaring academically, multiple scholarships to independent schools and amazing friendship groups. But you do you.

Whoops...that's fine too though. There is no need for 'you do you' because she is. You are happy with your way and she is happy with hers.

Yeah, I disagree. I grew up on the internet and my humour has been so shaped by internet culture and memes, I need my brainrot time before bed where I can mindlessly watch weird tiktoks, in many ways its just the way we all decompress these days. I also do homework with my kid, plenty of outdoors time, it's a balance. It's actually more controlled and safer on kids YT than some of the forums and sites I was on, it's just the content is more absurd. I think it's fine but that's just my opinion

Depends on the kid. Her behaviour was and is fine regardless, so there's no need.

This. We've recently banned YouTube as well, and noticed a vast improvement in behaviour! Our DC had started acting very spoilt, wagging their finger in our faces when told "no", general obnoxious behaviour that they'd seen on YT. They wouldn't watch the more age-appropriate programmes anymore. Now they're back into Bluey, Numberblocks etc. and their behaviour has toned right down again. Obviously they don't spend all day in front of it. But if they're going to have a bit of screen time, YouTube will no longer be a part of it!

We've got rid of YouTube for general viewing.
The things I disliked were the mindless skipping through videos, child exploitation channels, the noise, lack of storylines, endless watching clips of movies and shows. And the effort it takes as a parent to properly supervise.

My kids still get plenty of screen time and can watch TV shows and movies. And we do use YouTube for specific things eg how to or science videos. It's the lack of quality control and damage to attention spans I don't like.

It's easier with younger kids to have far more control and say over what they watch. As a teacher of teens my two biggest concerns are attention span and credulous "I saw this thing on YT..". I think it's also true of adults now that many find it v difficult to sit and watch an hour episode of something or a film. The dopamine hit from constant scrolling and short clips is way more addictive than the slower gain from long form TV or reading.

My six year watches YouTube he doesn't realise he can type in the box and watch anything he wants on it so he just watches old cartoons like smurfs, sonic and he man.

Stuff that was on the TV decades ago haha

Disney netflix etc are a waste of money

God yeah the nonsense they think is real because it's on a screen. I'm forever shouting 'check your sources!' And they love that obv.

Surely it depends what your kids watch on YouTube?
I have a teen who spends hours watching bushcraft, parkour (yay Storror, I find them quite entertaining too) and cooking videos, and a 9 year old who sometimes needs us peering over his shoulder going "That looks like absolute rubbish! Watch some Kurzgesaat (sp?) or turn it off!"

Yeah we already limit youtube but it creeps up and up and the algorithms are terrifying.

The other day I left them watching 'top 10 rollercoasters in the world' video which was fine, we were planning a trip to a theme park. I was pottering around doing laundry and overheard the video it had gone on to - Top 10 suicide spots in the world. FFS. They are 8 and 6.

God yeah the nonsense they think is real because it's on a screen. I'm forever shouting 'check your sources!' And they love that obv.

Given the amount of adults that believe any old shit posted online, it's not a bad discussion to have with kids,model it and start them young.

Absolutely. "Omg mum, those stupid JSO protesters blockaded a tanker full of cooking oil, they're so dumb!"
That led to an hour of patient discussion and some online fact checking demonstrations, but I think he took most of it on board eventually.

All we need to do now is tackle the hundreds of grown adults on Mumsnet who post the same sort of stuff....🤦‍♀️

Exactly this. No YouTube unless there's an adult present here. I'm very, very close to banning it too. It's mindless shite and some of it despite being on kids YouTube is inappropriate.

As someone who was a teen when the Internet was new, it's much better now because we are more aware. As in, I would monitor it in a way my parents didn't. But I'm not sure it's a great thing to need to watch mindless shite to fall asleep. But I guess it's the same as older generations having conditioned themselves to have to read to be able to sleep. I agree it's a balance though for sure. I'm not keen on out and out banning things and my child will always be allowed screens but I think yt is a bit dangerous.

The content - Disney is actual shows, YouTube is created content and can be basically anything but is often total rubbish made by one person.

Quite surprised by how young some dc who are watching YouTube and playing Roblox are on this thread. Mind you dd is a teen so things have probably changed since she was a young child.
Always supervised her watching. Wait til they're older and discover Tiktok, really is the devil's spawn imo

One thing in favour of YouTube that I forgot to mention...

My DC is 18 months, I recently played her a few episodes of Ms Rachel. Within about a week she started counting - she can now count to 10. If I ask "what comes after two?" She replies "three". I've watched her sit and count her toys, completely alone. It's fascinating.

I never ever taught her to count or counted things to her - in all honesty I thought she was too young to understand it.

A few episodes of Ms Rachel taught it to her - which I found quite staggering after everyone saying how terrible YT is.

Tbh she's not at the age yet where she's just watching anything, or choosing the content herself, though.

Sometimes she insists I play her reels of puppies, that's the only thing she definitely wants to watch.

To be fair, if the ability and understanding capacity is there, the same would happen if you did counting activities with her. That stuff can be done from birth just like talking and reading.

Exactly!!! It’s all so vile.

It's not all vile. It depends what they watch surely.
DS 9 watches battle re-enactments and has learned lots about history as a result.

Also quite like Roblox. When I work away me and DS schedule time in the evening to play a Roblox game together 😂

Roblox is awesome.

My kids behaviour has never changed because of youtube. I mean how much are your kids changing?

Mines go through periods when they watch everyday and then stop for months at a time. And they are always just the same person.

I hate all this high horse bullshit tbh. Kids like gaming and YouTube. Alert the fucking papers.

Social exclusion will hurt them more FYI.

My kids behaviour wasn't impacted negatively by YouTube or gaming. They've always enjoyed them and done plenty of other activities as well.