Help needed blocking a website (YouTube)

[wherethewaterisdarker]

I've had a bit of a lightning bolt revelation this morning that I need to implement a complete ban on YouTube for my kids (who bloody love it obviously because it's highly addictive to young brains!). I think the best way to do this would be to make the website impossible to access on all our home devices (macs and kindle fires), but I'm a bit of a technophobe and can't for the life of me work out how to do this. Is it possible to block one specific website?? If so, please share your wise tips! Now I've made this decision I want to get it underway asap. Thanks in advance for any help

Try "You are not allowed on YouTube"

A specific Google search can be very helpful, e.g. “how do i block YouTube website on iphone”

will bring up the steps you need to follow.

I can’t help but think we need to do the same.
We’ve tried to minimise social media for DC so there’s no TikTok or FB but they have Insta in the past. Something said yesterday made it clear some very judgemental views are coming from YouTube. We chatted about the polarising effect of SM in general, but I’d love to limit use.
FYI they are AuDHD with a limited social circle, and very impressionable. So SM is both a godsend and a curse

You may be able to block it via your broadband provider.

Come on… Someone is trying to make a change for the benefit of their kids, no need to snark about it.

Also we use YouTube kids app but we don’t allow free access or searches or channels, so they only have access to specific things I share. So this is great for learning or programming that I think are fine, but they can’t scroll endlessly or end up watching random influencers.

Windows or Apple device? Microsoft Family safety will block the you tube site on a windows device (don’t know if it works on Apple) also block the MS Store app on the windows device so they can’t download the YouTube app., apple screen time on iPhones.
Qustodio can be used for free on one device and is very good for restrictions.
Realistically these should have been put in place before the genie was out of the bottle but if you get to grips with this now, it will be less painful than a few years time.

thanks but i've tried this and it just brings up a load of AI dross and links to dodgy blocker websites so thought I'd try asking some humans!

ah you sound smart and nice! cheers for that pass-ag advice.

we have apple devices mainly and don't use the YouTube app but the website itself.. I will have a look at qustodio, thanks very much.
Seems kind of mad that it's so complicated, but makes sense on a broader (depressing) level.

We've tried this but for my kids it's a bit like a gateway drug into the big bad world of 'normal' youtube as they've already been exposed to it.. I think YouTube Kids is great though if it doesn't have that effect! It's the influencers and general capitalist hellscape of YouTube that I can't stand, not to mention that it's basically unregulated.

if you have child accounts on Apple devices, you can block websites via the screen time app. It’s not great though and you will need to check that the settings remain in place from time to time. Apple won’t do anything about it despite it being reported for years.
We had Qustodio premium on ours when they were younger. It was well priced, worked well and they had good customer service.

My dc were addicted. I would never ban it I’ve used it as a way to teach them how to manage an addiction as I think that’s a valuable skill to have. I allowed them to come up with a schedule and when they were struggling we came up with ideas to take their minds off it and it’s been really helpful (they are 3,5 and 8. All have ASD and one also ADHD)