YouTube Lets Parents Limit or Block Kids’ Shorts Viewing

YouTube announced on Wednesday new controls that let parents set time limits on how much their kids and teens watch Shorts, the platform's short video feature. The changes, which roll out soon, give families more say over screen time and content, building on existing safety tools for users under 18.

Background

YouTube has long worked to make its site safer for young people. For years, the platform has offered supervised accounts for kids and protected settings for teens aged 13 to 17. These accounts block mature content and limit some features by default. Last year, YouTube added tech to guess a user's age and adjust recommendations accordingly. Now, with Shorts growing popular—much like TikTok videos—the company is tackling concerns about endless scrolling on bite-sized clips.

Parents have raised worries about kids spending too much time on short videos, which can lead to hours of watching without breaks. YouTube says teens use the site for school help, creator videos, podcasts, and sports clips. The goal of these updates is to let young users explore while keeping parents in charge. The changes come as governments and groups push social media companies to do more for child safety.

The new tools focus on three areas: helping kids watch with purpose, improving video suggestions for teens, and making family accounts easier to handle. YouTube built these based on talks with parents, child experts, and even teens themselves.

Key Details

Shorts Time Limits

The main new feature lets parents control Shorts viewing on connected kids' and teens' accounts. Parents can set a daily timer for the Shorts feed. Soon, they will also be able to turn it off completely, setting the limit to zero. This works for supervised accounts linked through Family Link.

For example, a parent might block Shorts during homework time so the teen watches longer educational videos instead. Later, they could allow 60 minutes for a car ride. This gives flexibility to match family needs. YouTube calls this an industry-first step for short-form content.

Break and Bedtime Reminders

Parents of supervised accounts can now set custom reminders for bedtime and breaks. These pop up to suggest stopping video watches. Teens already get these by default, but parents can adjust times and messages. Adults can use similar tools if they want.

Better Content for Teens

YouTube is changing how it suggests videos to teens. New rules, made with help from youth groups, UCLA researchers, the American Psychological Association, and others, push for more helpful content. Teens will see more videos like those from Khan Academy, Crash Course, or TED-Ed—ones that teach skills, tell stories, or build habits.

Creators get a guide on making teen-friendly videos. This affects what shows up in recommendations, steering away from low-value clips toward ones that inform or inspire. It adds to rules already in place for kids under 13.

Easier Account Management

Switching between family accounts gets simpler. In the mobile app, parents can create kid accounts without emails or passwords and tap to change users. Kid accounts tie to a parent's and stay in safe mode. This helps avoid mixing adult viewing history with kids', like getting cartoon suggestions on a grown-up profile.

"This is an industry-first feature that puts parents firmly in control of the amount of short-form content their kids watch." – Jennifer Flannery O'Connor, YouTube Vice President of Product Management

These updates build on tools like supervising a teen's channel if they upload videos. Other apps like TikTok and Instagram have similar family controls.

What This Means

For families, these changes mean less worry about endless Shorts scrolling. Parents gain tools to fit YouTube into daily life, like study time or wind-down hours. Kids and teens keep access to learning and fun content but with guardrails.

The Shorts block could cut down on mindless watching, which experts link to less sleep and focus in young people. Custom reminders might help build better habits early. Pushing quality videos means teens find more value on the platform, perhaps sticking to educational creators over quick laughs.

Account switches make it practical for busy parents to manage multiple users without hassle. No more logging in and out or algorithm mix-ups. Over time, this could lead more families to use supervised setups, knowing it's easy to oversee.

YouTube's moves match wider efforts across tech. Platforms face pressure from laws and parents to protect minors from too much screen time and poor content. By acting first on Shorts limits, YouTube sets a bar others might follow.

Experts say these steps help but aren't a full fix. Parents still need to talk with kids about online habits. The features roll out gradually, starting with supervised accounts. Families can check YouTube's family settings now to prepare.

As more kids turn to short videos, tools like these give parents real power. They let families shape the digital world to fit real life, one timer at a time.