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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not let my 10 year old have his own you tube channel?

56 replies

sprockercrazy · 17/09/2017 16:00

I can't decide if I am being unreasonable or not ...

My 10 (almost 11) year old DS stayed over at my best friends house last night. He is best friends with her son also same age.
Whilst there they both set up you tube accounts and uploaded various videos to their you tube channels.
I found out because DS had used my email address so I received several emails telling me that my uploads had been successful...
it appears that my best friend had given them permission so DS hadn't thought to check with me.
I and DH feel very strongly that DS is too young to have any social media presence. We didn't let his DSis have a FB /snapchat/instagram accounts until she was 16.
I have ensured that he has deleted his account but my best friend says that I am over reacting.
AIBU??

OP posts:
Slartybartfast · 17/09/2017 16:02

I think my dc might have done the same, in the past, probably at same/similar age. A lot of the stuff they uploaded was taken down. DD used to upload videos of her singing or doing gymnastics Grin

however as you have been strict with your dd perhaps you need to keep that going, otherwise she will have her nose put out of joint

00100001 · 17/09/2017 16:03

I think you're over reacting a little bit.

He should have asked permission. But that's in the past. I would say he can only keep it if you follow it or have access.

To be quite frank, unless he is lucky (or unlucky?) he'll only get a few "hits" and no-one beyond his friendship group will even watch the videos.

opheliacat · 17/09/2017 16:04

YANBU re YouTube but I think no social media until 16 is barking, quite honestly, and potentially quite isolating.

00100001 · 17/09/2017 16:04

Oh. Whoops. Missed the part where you stopped DD until she was 16...

FallingOrbit · 17/09/2017 16:05

What kind of content is he likely to upload? Does he have a hobby he's seriously into and wants to share it? It really depends on the kid, YT is a great source of info and for likeminded people to get content of interest to them.

If you're worried about the potential bullying aspect, he can disable comments and ratings etc but if he intends to expose his face and uses his real name for the channel people he knows will figure it out.

What exactly are your reasons for not allowing it? I'm NOT saying that you SHOULD allow it, just wondering what motivates you to feel strongly against it?

Starlight2345 · 17/09/2017 16:06

Your child..You decide..My DS (10) also will not have a youtube account.

What he says and thinks is not something to be shared on the WWW.. IMO.

My DS also has a friend whose parents do not take any control over his internet access.. So my DS will always be behind with him...

Slartybartfast · 17/09/2017 16:09

One of the songs my dd made up put on youtube a friend copied and put on youtube as well. So that is a lesson learnt.

Original poster
sprockercrazy · 17/09/2017 16:11

Thank you for your replies
He has 3 or 4 favourite you tubers who he likes to watch. They share film reviews , pranks, funny videos of themselves etc.
He would be uploading videos of himself and his friends so would be showing his face/our home etc.
He thinks that you tube is they way to make his fortune !

OP posts:
Gannicusthemannicus · 17/09/2017 16:12

Youtube doesn't allow anyone under 13 to have an account, and you have to have parental consent until 18. Obviously you can get around that, but they are the rules of youtube.

Honestly, I wouldn't allow him. It is a prime target for bullying and anyone can watch and save the videos.

AdalindSchade · 17/09/2017 16:15

Your friend should have checked with you for sure.

FlandersRocks · 17/09/2017 16:15

Ds1 is nearly ten. His main goal in life ATM is to have his own YouTube channel. He wants to upload Stampy-style minecraft videos...he's already made about ten, videoing himself playing and commenting. For the past two years, on his Xmas list has been the special microphones/software needed to make videos properly.

I don't know what makes me feel uncomfortable exactly but ten is still very young for it.

Slartybartfast · 17/09/2017 16:15

he might upload without his face showing?

Original poster
sprockercrazy · 17/09/2017 16:16

Gannicus bullying is our main worry and what seems like a harmless fun video to make can be potentially taken out of context.

OP posts:
Slartybartfast · 17/09/2017 16:17

well you can't have one rule for one child and one rule for another ie. his dd

00100001 · 17/09/2017 16:17

How many views did his videos get?

FlandersRocks · 17/09/2017 16:18

He thinks that you tube is they way to make his fortune!

Ha, so does my ds. He's said a few times how he'd 'only' need sixty thousand views to make £x and so on. They get so used to seeing the main you tubers getting millions of hits, they have no concept of how difficult it would be!

Original poster
sprockercrazy · 17/09/2017 16:18

FlandersRocks - your DS sounds like mine and like you I can't put my finger on what makes me the most uncomfortable about him having his own channel I just feel that 10 is too young.
My best friend thinks I'm being a bit precious though lol

OP posts:
Slartybartfast · 17/09/2017 16:19

not his dd, Blush your dd

AnnieAnoniMouse · 17/09/2017 16:26

The girls (group of school friends) follow several successful young YouTubers...gymnastics, dance & slime mostly. They set up a YouTube channel and added quite a few videos of gymnastics & slime. They had a blast, got a few likes. All harmless. One parent lost the plot & made her DD take ALL the videos down. Not just hers, but ALL of them. The girls were pretty annoyed & haven't bothered to put the ones that don't have the other girl in, back up. (Not annoyed with their friend, just her Mum making them remove videos her DD wasn't it).

They're as sensible as you can expect 11 year olds to be, they don't use their real names, they don't mention their school, they don't show the front of their houses.

They all know what you put on line can stay there forever & that they need permission from each other to upload anything that has a friend in it.

You can't stop technology changing, it's not like when we were kids, so I think it's far better they do it openly & learn how to use social media sensibly. Banning it won't get you anywhere, they'll just go behind your back to do it at a friends house.

vegetariansAreDelicious · 17/09/2017 16:26

By far the best thing you can do is support rather than oppose.

You can continue to use your email address giving you total control. You could follow his channel to see exactly what's going online. You could educate and explain what is appropriate and what isn't.

By banning them, you're simply giving them reason to go behind your back.

All of this is ignoring the ludicrous 'not until 16' rule.

AnnieAnoniMouse · 17/09/2017 16:33

I guess it helps that the girls are all sensible. They love gymnastics, slime, musically etc and are not remotely likely to think 'mooning' is hilarious.

My good friends two, however, are very funny, silly, hilarious lovely kids, but I'd be terrified of them having their own channel because they would do stupid stuff like mooning 😳 I think it's another 'depends on the child'. 😂

Original poster
sprockercrazy · 17/09/2017 16:48

Annie - you're right it's not like when we were growing up..
I think that's part of what worries me. I feel like this generation is growing up too quickly

OP posts:
Albadross · 17/09/2017 16:48

DS won't be having anything that isn't controlled by us until 16. I'm a YouTuber and some seriously messed up things go on there, I'm a big girl and even without comments people can find out things about children that they shouldn't just from their presence there.

There's also a well-known streaming site that has a lot of older gentleman following young boys/girls who broadcast. A young girl was live and up popped a grown man wanking in the panel next to her, from her 'guest' camera.

e1y1 · 17/09/2017 16:52

No YANBU, a 10yo shouldn't even use social media/the internet unsupervised, let alone have a profile on there.

FenceSitter01 · 17/09/2017 16:53

16 ???? seriously????

Mine was turning over a regular £150 a month by Year10 on Twitter. He's very canny. The Little One is making £40-50 a month on YouTube by Minecraft and has done since Year 8.

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