Should I let my kids learn from YouTube videos?
Photo by Patricia Prudente on Unsplash
Your life revolves around social media. Nowadays, it’s easy to connect with anyone around the world. YouTube is a popular social media platform that lets you find videos on various topics.
But is it safe for the kids? You may download YouTube Kids, a kid version of YouTube for your child, but would you let your child learn from these social media platforms?
Read on for more information.
Is it okay to let kids use YouTube?
Ideally, you must limit the screen time for your kids. You must know what’s safe for your kids’ age and then decide accordingly.
According to Mayo Clinic Health System, children spend an average of seven to 10 hours on screen.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gives information on screen time vs. lean time. It says children between 8-10 years spend 6 hours on entertainment media. Kids between the ages of 9-14 spend 9 hours a day, and children 15-18 spend 7.5 hours a day. Parents can limit screen time to 1 to 2 hours per day. In addition, the parents must encourage the kids to do physical activity for one hour each day.
So, as a parent, it’s your choice as to what you let your kids watch between the limited screen time.
Using YouTube for educational content is okay, but it’s best to supervise the kids. You can supervise younger kids and download YouTube Kids for them. You can also consider parental controls, but it’s your responsibility to keep your kids safe in the online world.
Tips to consider when using YouTube
Whether you let your kids use YouTube for learning, consider the following:
- It’s best to decide the content for your child. If you can review the content first, you can know whether it’s age appropriate for the kids.
- Consider parental controls. But, sometimes, despite parental controls, you never know what a video can teach the kids. There could be ads between the videos that are not appropriate for your child’s age.
- Let kids use YouTube under your supervision.
- Talk to your kids about the dangers of the online world. There are pros and cons to each service. It’s upon you what you decide to use it for and make the most of it.
- You must also consider the length of the videos. Long educational videos could be boring for kids!
Find YouTube channels that are safe, kid-friendly, appropriate for age, and full of information. Of course, watching an informative and educational video together would be great!
Let your kid select the video (sometimes), but the content must be high quality.
How can kids learn from YouTube videos?
If you are using YouTube for entertainment and have no idea about the gold mine it could be for education, you can explore it today!
A quick online search can tell you about the educational content available on YouTube. For example, your kids can learn arts and crafts, or you can do it together after learning from YouTube. There is baking and cooking that your kid may find interesting. You can find appropriate classes for the kid and learn together.
Find motivational videos that can uplift the mood of your child and can help with a growth mindset.
There is so much information, but the goal is to pick quality content. If you provide adult supervision and select the videos, you can feel peace of mind, especially with small kids! Ask questions to your kids about what they like and dislike. For example, if they are not interested in Mathematics, find videos that can make it enjoyable.
If your kid loves science, find informative content on science!
At the end of the day, it’s about how you and your child are taking advantage of technology. But it’s a cold world out there, and not every video is appropriate. So, check the content first and then play the video!
FAQs
What’s best for my child’s learning?
The world is open for your child to learn. There are books, ebooks, online videos, and platforms. However, being a responsible parent, you must select the content that’s safe and appropriate for your child.
What’s important to discuss with kids about the internet?
Let your kids know about the dangers of the online world. Having an open conversation and building trust with your kids can develop a stronger bond between you and your child. So, focus on that and establish ground rules for learning from videos and using screen time.
Wrapping it up
Whether you let your kids use YouTube is up to you! But it’s great for learning. Each social media has its pros and cons, so it depends on how you make the most of it. So, select appropriate educational content for your child!