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AIBU?

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Original poster

To ask if YouTube makes your child behave badly?

41 replies

PotterLottery · 07/06/2022 19:17

My DD is 7 (nearly 8) and as are most kids her age, a little obsessed with YouTube. She mostly watches gaming videos (Minecraft, Mario and Toca boca)

I'm quite strict with it, she only watches it when I'm there (on the big TV) and it's limited to once or twice a day. However I do find whenever she's been watching it she is just so... giddy, silly and annoying after she comes off. She doesn't listen, is rude to me and just a general pain! Either that or she is the opposite and really really grumpy and moany.

I used to let her watch half an hour of it before bed but she was never going to sleep and shouting me til all hours. So I've stopped it and luckily she's sleeping much better now. But the way she's behaving makes me want to ban it altogether.

Just wondered if anyone else's children were affected like this 🙈

OP posts:
Original poster
PotterLottery · 07/06/2022 21:07

Maybe it is just mine 🙈

OP posts:
melisma · 07/06/2022 21:11

Not just yours! I have just deleted it off their tablets for the same reason - they were just watching absolute nonsense and we found that some pretty unsuitable stuff made it through the kids' filters too. They moaned for a few days but don't ask any more!

Mahanii · 07/06/2022 21:11

YouTube is banned in my home. It turned my kids into obnoxious monologuers.

FirstAidKitNowPlease · 07/06/2022 21:12

Mine too. I'm considering banning it completely but sometimes I'm working and need them distracted.

I pay for it later though. (Child is nearly 10)

SlatsandFlaps · 07/06/2022 21:15

YES!!!!! My DD is also 7 and Omg the attitude! The screaming YouTubers in their Teslas and my DD copying their American accent and telling me off. So sick of it but there's nothing else she will watch and with her having autism, the reaction to any attempt at stopping what she chooses to watch (I don't mean how much but what she watches) results in a massive, massive meltdown

LadyMonicaBaddingham · 07/06/2022 21:16

School staff do notice the invasive American accent, believe me... It seems insignificant, but believe me it's bloody obvious

SlatsandFlaps · 07/06/2022 21:16

Anybody else's child also OBSESSED with Roblox?

Rainallnight · 07/06/2022 21:16

DD is 6 and I don’t allow it at all, because I’m afraid of exactly this. I’ll hold out for as long as I can.

I did allow it a bit during lockdown because school sent various things to look at on YouTube (monster meditation!) but I really didn’t like how it just ran and ran with no quality control at all. So it’s gone now.

However, I’m probably more relaxed about Netflix (age appropriately) than some other parents

PuffinMcStuffin · 07/06/2022 21:17

I've banned YouTube for my 6 year old, his attitude completely changed when he watched it.

EarringsandLipstick · 07/06/2022 21:20

I agree - my 10 yo loves YouTube, started to watch more between 8 & 10 during lockdown & home schooling (because it wasn't possible to limit it on the school device he was using & I was working etc).

He doesn't watch anything inappropriate but he is definitely a bit demented & hard ti manage after even a short amount.

I basically stopped it all but until recently he basically had unfettered access at his father's house. Not seeing him much anymore & that has stopped that.

I think it's the endless 'activity' of the videos, short but incessant.

ASundayWellSpent · 07/06/2022 21:20

You have the full description of lots of the adverse affects and behaviour seen in real time with your own child so surely that is reason enough. You say you are strict with is but one or two times a day and before bed doesn't sound strict at all. Take a quick look at the effects of screen light on the eye and the brain. Also on why screens are so hypnotising to children (flicking images, over stiumlation for example). My kids are 5 and 8 and get to watch a film on a
Saturday night and that is all the screen time they have, if it were up to me alone it would be 0.

orwellwasright · 07/06/2022 21:20

Aww, allow her to play Toca Boca (rather than watch videos of it). It's so lovely. No one could behave badly playing Toca Boca.

YouTube is a nightmare.

orwellwasright · 07/06/2022 21:21

Also people tend to allow screen time before bed when this is probably the worst time of the day. Far better to allow that half hour treat first thing.

WalkerWalking · 07/06/2022 21:22

It makes my kids talk American 🙄

But I don't think it makes them behave worse. We did have to discuss how "pranks" and "jokes" online aren't often funny irl, and usually it just hurts/upsets people (and gets you into trouble!) but they seem to have taken this on board.

Mine usually just watch "100 (million) monotonous days in Minecraft" though. And bizarre Disney conspiracy stories 🤷‍♀️

RaginaPhalange · 07/06/2022 21:22

Ds seems to have stopped watching so much of it thank god! But when he did he wouldn't listen and sit in a sulk when told to turn it off.

sayanythingelse · 07/06/2022 21:24

It's not just you, my 4.5yo DD is like this too.
They watch nursery rhymes on YouTube at nursery, so I thought it couldn't hurt to give her the tablet and let her go on YouTube Kids for a bit. She soon found the most bloody annoying, screechy videos though and got banned off it as she was horrible all day if she'd been on the tablet. Whiny, rude and argumentative. Very annoying.

MsChatterbox · 07/06/2022 21:25

Yes! It's banned now.

orwellwasright · 07/06/2022 21:25

SlatsandFlaps · 07/06/2022 21:16

Anybody else's child also OBSESSED with Roblox?

Yep

WalkerWalking · 07/06/2022 21:26

Fwiw my kids get their screens for an hour straight after school while I get the tea ready, then they play (preferably outside) until bath/bed. This works very well for us, no issues with getting to sleep.

legaltigger · 07/06/2022 21:27

My nephews are insufferable with it - just repeat shit off YouTube all day and talk in American accents and scream all the time. My kid doesn't know what it is yet, will keep it that way as long as I can.

StepAwayFromGoogling · 07/06/2022 21:28

Yes, yes, yes to the American accent! Haven't noticed any behavioural issues from it though (any more than normal!).

Muchtoomuchtodo · 07/06/2022 21:29

Never say never about it though.

dc1 has been watching videos on YouTube for his GCSE revision! Some that he watched last night came up in today’s maths paper.

It’s not all bad, but they do need to be able to self regulate to a certain extent.

Stellaris22 · 07/06/2022 21:29

We’ve noticed similar with YouTube so have mostly banned it. I understand concerns with screen time however we let ours do things like Scratch Junior and encourage an interest in coding. Being able to do coding and computer literate from an early age is really important nowadays.

Impier · 07/06/2022 21:29

YouTube is blocked on our WiFi because of its affect on the kids.

GroggyLegs · 07/06/2022 21:31

Yes, it's banned in our house too. The awful screeching voices & absolute pointlessness of most of the videos was too much.

Our optician commented how many children say 'Zee' not 'Zed' when doing their eye tests now - I'm blaming YouTube.