YouTube is the #1 platform for kids. By age 11, around 80% of kids are watching YouTube regularly. By middle school, it's basically universal. And unlike Netflix where you can preview everything, YouTube is a firehose of content that changes constantly.

The stakes are real:

But here's the other side: YouTube also has incredible educational content, creative inspiration, and genuine community. Crash Course, Mark Rober, SciShow Kids—these channels are legitimately great. The goal isn't to block YouTube entirely (though that's a valid choice for some families). It's to make it less of a Wild West.

YouTube Kids is a separate app with content supposedly vetted for young children. You can choose between three age settings: Preschool (4 and under), Younger (5-8), or Older (9-12).

The good: Cleaner interface, no comments, better guardrails against truly disturbing content.

The bad: The algorithm still promotes low-quality content, and plenty of "kid-friendly" videos are just... not good. You know the ones—toy unboxings, repetitive nursery rhymes with creepy CGI, or those bizarre Minecraft roleplay videos. Also, kids outgrow it fast. By 8 or 9, they know YouTube Kids is "baby YouTube" and will push back.

Pro tip: In YouTube Kids settings, you can switch to "Approved Content Only" mode where your kid can ONLY watch channels or videos you've specifically selected. This is legitimately the safest option for young kids, but it requires you to curate their entire experience.

This is YouTube's newer middle ground—it's regular YouTube, but with parental controls. You link your account to your kid's Google account and choose a content setting: Explore (9+), Explore More (13+), or Most of YouTube (with some restrictions).

The good: Kids get access to more age-appropriate content without feeling babied. You can see what they're watching through Google Family Link.

The bad: The content filtering is... inconsistent. YouTube's AI doesn't always get it right. Your 10-year-old might get blocked from watching a legitimate science video because it mentions "reproduction," while somehow a video of someone screaming profanities while playing Fortnite slips through.

Restricted Mode is a setting you can turn on in regular YouTube that's supposed to filter out mature content.

The good: It's free and built-in.

The bad: It's hilariously unreliable. It blocks LGBTQ+ educational content and legitimate sex education while letting through toxic prank channels. Kids also figure out how to turn it off in about 30 seconds if you're not supervising.

Some families use browser extensions (Video Blocker, DF YouTube) or router-level filtering (Circle, Bark) to add another layer.

The good: More customization and control.

The bad: Requires tech comfort, ongoing maintenance, and can be circumvented by determined teens.

Here's what I've seen work for families:

For ages 5-8: YouTube Kids in "Approved Content Only" mode. Yes, it's work to curate channels. But it's the only way to actually control what they see. Start with channels like Bluey clips, Numberblocks, Art for Kids Hub.

For ages 9-12: Supervised Experience with regular check-ins. Sit with your kid and look at their watch history together weekly (not as punishment, just as conversation). Ask them to show you their favorite channels. This is when you can start teaching them to recognize clickbait and low-quality content.

For ages 13+: Honestly? The tech solutions become less effective here. This is where media literacy becomes your primary tool. Talk about algorithms, about how YouTube makes money from engagement (not quality), about how to spot misinformation. Make it a life skill, not a rule to enforce.

For all ages: Consider time limits over content limits. Sometimes the issue isn't what they're watching, it's that they're watching for 3 hours straight and their brain is turning to soup.

No filter is perfect. Your kid will eventually see something you didn't want them to see. That's not a failure—that's the internet.

The question is: When they see something weird, disturbing, or confusing, will they come talk to you about it?

That's why the relationship matters more than the filter. If your kid knows they won't get in trouble for stumbling onto something inappropriate, they're more likely to tell you. If they know you're curious about what they're watching (not just policing it), they're more likely to share.

YouTube content filtering is imperfect, frustrating, and requires ongoing effort. The tools exist, but they're not magic. Here's the hierarchy that actually works:

And remember: the goal isn't to create a perfectly filtered experience. It's to help your kid develop good judgment so that eventually, they can navigate YouTube (and the rest of the internet) without you.

And if you're feeling overwhelmed by all of this, you're not alone. Digital parenting is genuinely hard, and YouTube is one of the trickiest platforms to navigate. But you're here, you're learning, and that matters.