St. Thomas, ON – Monday July 14th 2025
YouTube: Watch Wisely. Post Safely.
This week, CRU and SADER are putting the spotlight on YouTube—a widely used video-sharing platform that can entertain, educate, and inspire. But just like other social media platforms, it comes with real risks that families need to be aware of.
What Parents Should Know:
YouTube allows anyone to upload and view videos, and while there is plenty of positive, educational content, there’s also material that may be:
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Inappropriate: Content can promote unsafe challenges, harmful behaviors, or disturbing themes not suited for younger viewers.
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Abusive or Negative: Comments can often include bullying, hate speech, or abusive language that may affect mental health.
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Unfiltered Access: Without safety controls, kids may be exposed to disturbing videos through autoplay or misleading thumbnails.
YouTube also recommends content based on viewing history, which means one poor choice can lead to a chain of unsuitable suggestions.
YouTube Safety Tips for Families:
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Use YouTube Kids: This child-friendly version filters out most inappropriate content and offers more control for parents.
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Turn off Autoplay: This reduces the risk of your child falling into a spiral of unsafe or misleading videos.
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Supervised Accounts: YouTube allows parents to manage what content their child can access based on maturity settings.
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Restrict Comments: Consider turning off comments on your child’s uploads or using filters to block certain words.
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Enable Restricted Mode: Found in account settings, this hides most flagged content.
Security Settings for All Users:
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Use a strong, unique password for your YouTube/Google account.
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Enable Two-Step Verification (2SV) for added protection.
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Regularly update your password and check account activity.
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Review connected apps and remove any that are unused.
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Ensure your recovery email/phone number is current in case of account lockout.
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Most importantly, make sure your email account is secure—it’s the gateway to everything.
YouTube can be a powerful learning tool—but it can also open the door to risky or harmful content. Parental oversight and open conversations make all the difference.
CRU and Sader encourage families to watch wisely and post safely. Stay tuned every Monday this summer for more Cyber Spotlight safety tips!
