Has your child been scrolling through YouTube shorts more often lately? These short videos are often very captivating and can lead to your child staying glued to the screen for longer.
YouTube Shorts is an area within YouTube with very short videos in portrait format. They work in a similar way to TikTok clips or Instagram reels. They include, for example, funny clips and challenges, life hacks and craft ideas, sports and gaming scenes as well as dance and music videos – often created by influencers. The clips are 15 to 60 seconds long and are played automatically one after the other. Which videos are shown is decided by a recommendation algorithm – a system that is based on previous user behavior.
Shorts are particularly appealing to children and teenagers because they:
But be careful: even if your child is not looking for it, surprisingly unsuitable content can appear in between because the selection is automatic.
With a swipe, the next video appears immediately – and your child can easily lose track of time. YouTube has therefore introduced a new function in Parental Controls:
You can find clear step-by-step instructions at medien-kindersicher.de under point 1.5.
By the way: The YouTube Kids app can be an option for younger children. It filters content according to age and encourages less endless scrolling.
Technical time limits and protection settings can help you with media education. They are only helpful if your child understands why these rules apply. Watching too many shorts can disrupt sleep, concentration and other activities such as hobbies or homework. If possible, set the media rules for usage times, times and breaks together, then your child will be more likely to stick to them.
Do you often spend a long time scrolling through short videos on Instagram, TikTok or YouTube? Then it may be that your child finds it harder to understand why you are stricter with them. We adults often spend a lot of time on our smartphones ourselves, e.g. to use messengers, read the news, listen to podcasts and organize our everyday lives. Try to reflect on your own media use and limit it if necessary, e.g. by introducing cell phone-free times or planning screen-free activities together.
Can’t find an answer to your question? Ask your personal questions about your child’s media use directly and conveniently using the messenger service via WhatsApp or Threema. You can find more information here.
