Will children still be allowed YouTube on the family TV with this new social media ban?

[HangingHeather]

Don’t get me wrong, I’m really pleased about this social media ban for under 16s.

But my DS is 7 and AUDHD, we have a YouTube account on the family TV which is in my name. He doesn’t have any access to these things on his own personal device. However we will allow him to watch YouTube on the main family TV because he enjoys watching things that are linked to his hyperfocus/interest at the time. As he cycles through each specific topic.

Will this still be allowed if we let him watch on the main family TV or will it be illegal to do so? It does keep him regulated and we are always present to keep an eye on what he’s accessing.

YouTube is not social media. If it's in your name it wouldn't make a difference anyway

YouTube is social media and comes under the ban. But, op in your circumstances - in your name and you there, I think it will be fine. It will be illegal for him to have his own account.

YouTube is literally the definition of social media.

I think YouTube will be included from what I’ve read BUT as the last poster said, the account is yours on the family TV. That said, can you try YouTube kids as a less problematic platform? Again from what I’ve seen, YT kids will probably remain n

The illegality will fall with the platforms.

You, nor your child will commit any crimes by watching YouTube videos.

Re the ban, ultimately like anything banned in law for children a parent can make whatever choices they want.
There’s nothing to stop you putting YouTube on for your 7 year old, however you should now have slightly more information on the dangers and understand the choice you’re making.

Yep and I’ll be setting adult accounts up for my teens. Fucking ridiculous ban.

I would love a way to get YouTube off my tv!
Have uninstalled it, and my kids are probably well behaved enough not to reinstate it.
Hopefully the ban will deal with this issue.

Op, there are kids you tube accounts so really your child should be watching on that

The kids YouTube is basically brain rot videos from what I’ve seen. Nothing particularly educational that I’ve seen whereas my DS likes watching educational videos on science, geography and so on.

You can do what you like in your own home.

its on your account it’s not an issue, at some point you will probably have to provide ID/face age verification on your account as that’s essentially what this is going to boil down to. No one is going to be checking home to home, it’s just going to be on the companies to put some age verification in place

I’m so pleased with the ban. Really helps parents in my view. We don’t have YouTube in our name on the TV and are happy not to have the pressure now. Really hope this gives kids all round a more normal childhood

But yes to answer your question, the age verification checks for your account will be of you

Well you’re in the minority - 88% of parents surveyed were supportive apparently

No one will be knocking on the door stopping you!!!!

We all watch you tube on TV under DH account signed in anyway. I don't see how anyone could stop that.

I suspect there will be some age verification of accounts - though DD2 and I both watch you tube on phones unsigned in in our rooms - so no idea what will happen with that - that may go donw you have to sign in to use.

I agree that lot of very good stuff onniche topics on main you tube - and frankly way better than stuff on kids you tune that we've never bothered with.

We don't know yet but in Australia’s under-16 ban, YouTube automatically signs out under-16s and prevents signed-in accounts (including supervised/family-linked ones in many cases), but children can still watch logged out (no account needed for basic viewing).

To be honest, it all makes very little sense. Also, why is some of the social media most notorious for targeting children, like Bluesky, exempt from the ban?

Who the hell would even know? My 8 year old GC watches travel videos on it on the tv. Can't see the harm

I agree. YT isn't social media because it pre-dates it.

TikTok on the other hand is social media and is brain rot. This is due to TikTok being a short-form video format and it chips away at one's attention span.

Facebook, Twitter/X/Bluesky, Instagram are social media due to the scrolling nature, and once again it chips away at one's attention span.

WhatsApp and Signal aren't social media because they are instant messengers and IMs pre-date social media. MSN, AIM, IRC, ICQ and others date back 25-30 years.

Yes, I worry about this too.

Both DDs like to watch YouTube. Yes, they lead a normal life too!

Funny, because when I was a child, we were allowed out, and my parents/grandparents would always put the TV on. We watched Disney films, etc. So that was ok, but we now can't do the same for our kids?

Next will be, the parents will be prosecuted if they allow their children screen time over 30mins a day.

You better watch out for Keir Starmer on your doorstep ready to cart you off to jail! 😱

The ban on YouTube in the bit that's really annoying me. DD is 13. She's taught herself how to crochet and to play the keyboard and ukelele through watching tutorials. It also been really useful when she's got stuck with some of her dancing skills and helping with homework.

It's very easy to support things in principle ...

There will be no ban on children watching youtube. There will be a ban on youtube offering accounts to under-16s (currently the age limit is 13).

Does anyone know what this means for young content creators? Is this going to be the end of any UK channels similar to Ryan's World, Vlad and Nikki, Like Nastya etc? Or will they keep going as long as parents manage their accounts/exposure to comments etc?