to not want my DS to watch youtube?

[Spearshake]

My DS is 9 and, like most kids his age, loves watching youtube, especially youtubers like DanTDM, Guava Juice, Jerome, etc. Mostly, they seem pretty harmless (even thought I can't understand the appeal of watching grown men playing games, but then I am not 9, so...)
I'm just aware how it's easy to stray into watching stuff that could be too adult. For this reason, I'm deliberating whether to ban youtube and to ask him to watch 'normal TV' instead. We have netflix, amazon prime, etc so it's not like there's nothing on TV!

My 2 (12&11) don't have YouTube

Never been an issue they are more than happy with Netflix and prime

YANBU. I’ve banned my 6 year old but am aware it may become more difficult when she gets to 9. I think as a compromise as she gets to that age I may allow half an hour of supervised YouTube time a day mainly to keep up with what peers are watching but I’ll wait until it becomes a big issue. Dd did have a moan when I stopped her watching it (she’d only been allowed it a month but was already starting to find videos I didn’t find appropriate) but hasn’t mentioned it for a while now.

Initially I didn't have a problem with the dc watching game play videos. I figured they're harmless and help them work out how to do things on their favourites games. However; I have now removed the YouTube app from the sky box and all tablets (adding it to a block list to prevent workarounds to access it) after discovering our 9yo watching a video of gameplay from one of the 18+ games!!! I had been out of the room 5 minutes and it's only because they were watching it on the tv that I was able to see what they were watching - Grand theft auto or something. It was incredibly graphic anyway. So imo yanbu. They did have the kids YouTube but I've taken that off as well.

I do allow dd 10 to watch YouTube, but only in the living room on the main TV when either myself or her dad are in the room.

There are only certain videos off the 'approved' list that she is allowed to watch.

YANBU my friends daughter ended up watching some sick and twisted shows on the kids YouTube channel because some people think it's funny to make disturbing kids cartoons. It's impossible to put a parental block on them.

YouTube is one of those things that do imo need a level of supervision at that age .

A 2 second search led me to this example

www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/jun/17/peppa-pig-youtube-weird-algorithms-automated-content

There's some sensible advice here - thank you all. I have thought that I can check his Watch History, but it's more that once you see something disturbing/inappropriate, you can't 'unsee' it.

YANBU at all. DS is 8, nearly 9 and I have exactly the same problem. I have banned fortnite, but there are plenty of videos available of YouTube of guys playing the game. Like you I struggle to understand the attraction! There is huge peer pressure here too - people like Dan TDM are stars and they all talk about their latest stuff. I agree that it is far too easy to see unsuitable stuff on YouTube. My biggest problem last year was thinking I had banned it - we have BT and I put the website on our BT parental controls banned list. Be very careful, though. I found that it absolutely did not prevent access via certain apps, especially via apple - on the ipad etc.

My compromise at the moment is allowing YouTube access, except that absolutely everything has to be done via a gateway screen time app, as my biggest issue with DS at the moment is the amount of time he wants to spend online. At the moment I am trying out habyts - it seems to be working so far, as it gives points for positive behaviour and bans access until homework etc is done (you can set up all these parameters yourself of course). There is no easy solution but I do support you, I feel it is getting increasingly more difficult to protect our children online from both the hidden, and not so hidden dangers. At 8 and 9 kids are still slaves to a dopamine response and will not willingly regulate themselves, we have to be the "bad guy" and do it for them. You have to set boundaries which are respected, even if it makes you unpopular. My DS is unhappy that his peer group tease him for not playing fortnite - a game age rated above him - but I have to make him understand that his health comes first. Too much screen time, whether watching videos or gaming (even if it is age appropriate) makes him aggressive, and act like an addict. Sorry if that sounds harsh, but I really feel that we are up against a hidden epidemic here - there is so much out there online, not all correct, not all educational, alot of which can damage our young people's mental health, and we have to do our very best to protect them from it in a responsible way, hopefully so that they'll have good judgment as they grow. I support you in banning it, all my compromises have been hard won and every child is different, but it is much better to be safe than sorry. You are doing the right thing and should be applauded.

ohwell At 8 and 9 kids are still slaves to a dopamine response and will not willingly regulate themselves, we have to be the "bad guy" and do it for them

agreed!

Like any addiction, if the decision is out of your hands, you're happier (once you've stopped shouting and crying). I've deliberately avoided getting DS an XBox because I've seen the effects on his peers. It's pretty sad when you're at the park with your mates and, after 10 minutes, you hear 'I want to go home and play on the xbox'