With its vast content holdings, YouTube remains one of the most popular social media platforms in Singapore with social media users spending an average of 27 hours and 39 minutes each month . For parents, while the platform does offer content that suits all ages, it is important to set parental controls before introducing it to your children. This is to ensure that the viewing experience and content are age appropriate and cater to the needs of your children at different developmental stages. Here are two options that you can consider:
The YouTube Kids app is designed for younger children, providing a safer, more contained environment to explore videos on topics of interest. With three age-based content settings, parents can customize their child’s experience, block channels, set screen-time limits, and use other parental controls. The app features a smaller, curated content library, making it an ideal platform for independent viewing. Available in over 80 countries and used by 35 million weekly viewers, YouTube Kids is free to download on Google Play and the App Store.
For older children, YouTube’s supervised experience offers a transition to regular YouTube with adjusted settings. Parents can select one of three content settings to determine the videos accessible to their child. This option includes features such as disabled personalized ads, default-off autoplay, and reminders for breaks and bedtime to promote healthy screen time habits. Parents need a Google account for their child to enable this supervised experience. Additionally, they can use Google’s Family Link app for further digital habit management.
These options empower parents to choose the most suitable platform for their child’s viewing experience while encouraging safe and responsible digital engagement. For more details, families can refer to the resources linked in the video description or parental controls for Youtube.