YouTube has introduced additional safeguards for teens on its website, including limiting the content they see that could negatively impact their self-image. The platform is now restricting repeated recommendations of videos featuring specific fitness levels or body weights, as well as content displaying social aggression for European users, a rule already enforced in the US, as noted by The Guardian. Additionally, crisis center panels have been deployed across Europe to provide teens with quick access to live support from crisis service partners when they engage with sensitive topics like suicide or eating disorders. YouTube is also adding a new parental control feature for users in the US and other regions, allowing parents to monitor their teens’ channel activity and receive alerts for uploads and livestreams. However, information on comments and uploads content will not be included in the alerts, and parents cannot change their kids’ age on their accounts. This feature is an expansion of the parental controls introduced in 2021, which allowed guardians to supervise the types of videos their children can access.
