YouTube Kids isn't as kids-friendly. See why.

YouTube Kids is a version of the popular video-sharing platform YouTube that is designed specifically for children. It features a wide range of content that is appropriate for children, including educational videos, music, and entertainment.

YouTube Kids offers a kid-friendly interface and content filtering to help parents ensure that their children are only exposed to appropriate content. The platform is available as a free app for Android and iOS devices, and it is also accessible through the YouTube website.

So, why was YT Kids built?

YouTube Kids was launched in 2015, to provide a safe online environment for children to explore and enjoy videos on YouTube. Before YouTube Kids was launched, many parents were concerned about their children encountering inappropriate content on the regular YouTube platform, which is designed for a general audience.

To address these concerns, YouTube developed a version of the platform that is specifically designed for children and includes features such as content filtering, parental controls, and a simpler, more kid-friendly interface. By creating YouTube Kids, YouTube aims to provide a platform that parents can trust and feel comfortable allowing their children to use.

Looking at Youtube Kids from a Kid’s Lens

I decided to check out YT Kids to see how modern products are built for kids. Moreover, I also wanted to verify if Youtube has been successfully able to cater to this audience.

Let’s take a quick dive into the experience of YT Kids, in an 8-year-old’s shoes, and see what it has to offer for the kids of today.

1. Homescreen

The first thing I notice here is the automatic transition to Landscape mode. That to me, is very impressive. Kids are used to playing games. However, they seem to enjoy and are more used to the ones more that are played in the Landscape mode. That gives them a full and immersive experience.

Moreover, there’s an audio played of a kid, soon after the above screen appears asking me to get an adult. The weird part was that the speaker had a Western accent. Now this wouldn’t be as comprehensible for a kid who is below 8.

It doesn’t allow me (as a kid) to access the application without my parent’s consent. Okay, now I got to call Mommy to let me through.

2. Parent Account Set Up

Okay, so I am getting Mommy to set things up for me. She clicks the I’M A PARENT button. She’s now clicking a few buttons, flipping through a few screens, and adding her account details.

During the account setup, this screen caught my attention (as a PM 😄).

Now this is weird (again). Why as a parent do I need a cheerful video explaining the steps for setting up my account?! This page is going to be used ONLY by an adult. The user can access this page only after they click I’M A PARENT.

The “Show Text” is an option? Why? Does YT think this page could be accessed by the kid too? Is it trying to help the kid go pass through on their own?!

3. YT Kids Feed Home

Finally! I have the phone all to myself. Oo cool videos. Bookworms! Do books have worms too?!

*Swipes right*

Super Sema? Is that a new cartoon?

*Notices the Search icon and clicks*

4. Search

Wow, the drawing looks so cool! I want to draw something like this too!

Mmm…what do I search for? Mickey Mouse? No, I just watched it today on TV. Oh yes, I want to watch Doraemon!

*Types Doraemon*

The search suggestions menu is overlapping under the phone’s keyboard. This is a really poor user experience to have especially when it’s designed for kids and in the Landscape mode.

Wow, they’re making Dorayaki!

*Swipes right*

*Clicks on a result*

*Watches video until 2 mins*

Hey, Mr. Bean! I want to watch Mr. Bean.

*Taps Mr. Bean video*

5. Safety Check

As a safety check, I searched for “Simpsons”, an adult (and teenagers) cartoon, to see how precise the algorithm is; and if it is really “kids-friendly”!

Here’s the result!

Uh-oh! This is alarming! Although the full episodes of The Simpsons are not easily made visible (or probably not shown at all), children still have access to the glimpses. This, in my opinion, is NOT KID-FRIENDLY! While these glimpses may not contain restricted content, there’s no guarantee that they would never!

Summary

While YouTube Kids aims to be kid-friendly and provides a safer and more controlled environment for children to explore and enjoy videos on YouTube, it has still slipped some potentially risky content. Parents, it is best to stay vigilant even if your kids are exploring something made exclusively for them - like YouTube Kids!