YouTube is taking a significant step to protect teenagers from potentially harmful content by introducing new restrictions on videos that idealize specific fitness levels or physical appearances. Announced on Thursday, this global rollout builds on a U.S.-based initiative launched last year.
The move comes in response to growing concerns about the impact of social media on teen mental health. YouTube's new policy aims to curb the exposure of young users to content that compares physical features, promotes unrealistic body standards, or displays social aggression such as intimidation and non-contact fights.
While individual videos might not pose a direct threat, frequent exposure to such content can lead to negative self-perceptions among teens. YouTube plans to limit the repeated recommendation of these videos to mitigate this risk. By reducing the visibility of content that perpetuates idealized standards, the platform seeks to create a healthier environment for its younger audience.
In addition to these changes, YouTube has launched a new tool for parents, allowing them to link their accounts with their teens' accounts. This feature provides insights into their activity, including uploads and subscriptions. This new tool builds on YouTube’s existing parental controls, offering enhanced supervision similar to that available on platforms like TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook.
These measures reflect YouTube's commitment to addressing concerns about digital content's impact on teens while offering parents more control over their children's online experiences.
