YouTube Implements Measures to Limit Harmful Content Recommendations for Teen Users
YouTube is taking significant steps to address potentially harmful content recommendations that could negatively impact teen users by limiting repeated exposure to certain video categories.
The platform’s recent initiative aims to curtail repeated content recommendations on specific topics that may have adverse effects on young viewers, including content idealizing particular body weights. James Beser, the director of product management for YouTube Kids and Youth, announced the decision in a blog post, highlighting the collaboration with third-party youth wellness experts to safeguard the well-being of teens.
The move is part of a broader update to enhance youth safety on the platform, encompassing features like “take a break” reminders and more accessible crisis resources. YouTube’s measures align with the increased scrutiny faced by social media platforms concerning their influence on the mental health of users, particularly young audiences. Lawmakers have previously criticized platforms like Instagram and YouTube for promoting content related to extreme weight loss and dieting, especially to impressionable young users.
YouTube has also modified its policies regarding eating disorder content earlier this year, prohibiting certain video types and restricting access to adult users only. Additionally, the platform has addressed misinformation about critical medical topics, including vaccines and abortion.
Beser mentioned that certain video categories will no longer be repeatedly recommended to teen users, specifically focusing on content that glorifies unhealthy body standards, social aggression, and comparative physical attributes. This change is intended to mitigate the potential impacts of repetitive exposure to these messages on teens’ self-perception and overall well-being.
Allison Briscoe-Smith, a clinician and researcher on YouTube’s Youth and Families Advisory Committee, emphasized the significance of implementing these guardrails to assist teens in maintaining healthy perspectives amid natural self-comparisons.
While the new recommendation limits will be initially implemented in the United States, YouTube plans to extend these measures to other countries in the following year. The platform will also enhance existing features like “take a break” and “bedtime” reminders, expanding these tools to YouTube Shorts and standard videos. The reminders, set to appear every hour by default for teen users, aim to provide an opportunity for users to take breaks while parents retain the flexibility to adjust their frequency.
Moreover, YouTube intends to display comprehensive crisis resource panels for users searching for sensitive topics like suicide, self-harm, and eating disorders. These panels will present essential contacts and will be available for users of all ages, providing additional suggestions for more positive search terms.
As part of the platform’s efforts to promote safety online, YouTube is introducing guidelines for parents and teens on how to create content responsibly and safely on the platform.
