Social platform · High risk
Is YouTube safe for your child?
Age guide
13+
We advise YouTube from age 13 and up. Overall risk 7/10 (high risk).
- 5-8
- Younger children might be drawn to YouTube Kids for age-appropriate cartoons and educational videos, or they might watch family-friendly content on the main platform with supervision.
- 9-12
- Pre-teens often seek out gaming content, toy reviews, or DIY videos, and may start exploring channels with more complex narratives or challenges.
- 13-15
- Teenagers typically engage with vlogs, music videos, beauty tutorials, and content from specific creators, often interacting through likes and comments.
- 16+
- Older teens use YouTube for entertainment, news, educational content, and community engagement, consuming a wide range of genres and participating in discussions.
YouTube is a vast video-sharing platform where users can upload, view, rate, share, comment on videos, and subscribe to other users. Content ranges from educational videos and music to vlogs and entertainment.
- Age guide
- 13+
- Overall risk
- 7/10
- Violence
- 4/10
- Toxic behaviour
- 7/10
- Stranger contact
- 7/10
- Addiction risk
- 9/10
- Language
- 7/10
- Influence
- 9/10
What parents should know
YouTube is a vast video-sharing platform where users can watch, upload, and interact with content across countless genres. While it offers educational and entertaining videos, it also presents risks such as exposure to inappropriate content, unmoderated comments, and targeted advertising. Implementing parental controls like Restricted Mode and discussing online safety are important steps for managing its use.
What to do about YouTube
Free with a Parentwise account. The age-by-age verdict needs your child's age, which is why it lives behind the account.
- The age-by-age verdict
What we advise for under 8, 8-12 and 13+ - our age guide for YouTube is 13+, and the answer changes with your child's age. - The one setting to change tonight
The exact YouTube setting that cuts the most risk, with the steps to find it. - What to say
Word-for-word openers for talking about YouTube without a row. - Red flags to watch for
The signals in YouTube that mean it is time to step in.
YouTube age rating and parents guide: common questions
What age rating is YouTube?
Parentwise puts YouTube at 13+. We advise YouTube from age 13 and up. Overall risk 7/10 (high risk). Violence scores 4/10, language 7/10, stranger contact 7/10 and addiction risk 9/10.
Can a 10 year old use YouTube?
Not by default: we advise YouTube from 13+, so at 10 it needs your supervision and the settings changed first. Pre-teens often seek out gaming content, toy reviews, or DIY videos, and may start exploring channels with more complex narratives or challenges.
Can a 12 year old use YouTube?
Not by default: we advise YouTube from 13+, so at 12 it needs your supervision and the settings changed first. Pre-teens often seek out gaming content, toy reviews, or DIY videos, and may start exploring channels with more complex narratives or challenges.
Can a 13 year old use YouTube?
Yes, 13 is at or above the age we advise for YouTube (13+). Teenagers typically engage with vlogs, music videos, beauty tutorials, and content from specific creators, often interacting through likes and comments.
Is YouTube appropriate for kids?
YouTube is a vast video-sharing platform where users can watch, upload, and interact with content across countless genres. Parentwise rates YouTube overall as high risk (7/10), with stranger contact at 7/10 and addiction risk at 9/10.
Is YouTube family friendly?
YouTube is one of the higher-risk titles we rate, so treat it as supervised rather than family viewing. While it offers educational and entertaining videos, it also presents risks such as exposure to inappropriate content, unmoderated comments, and targeted advertising.
YouTube parents guide: what should a parent know first?
YouTube is a vast video-sharing platform where users can watch, upload, and interact with content across countless genres. The parts that most often catch parents out are stranger contact (7/10) and how hard it pulls for more time (9/10).
Is YouTube safe for kids?
We advise YouTube from age 13 and up. Overall risk 7/10 (high risk). While it offers educational and entertaining videos, it also presents risks such as exposure to inappropriate content, unmoderated comments, and targeted advertising.
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Release and popularity data comes in part from RAWG, TVMaze (CC BY-SA) and Wikidata (CC0). Safety guidance is written by Parentwise.