Anyone else's kid scared of creepy YouTube channels?

Dec 31·1 min read

My 5yo saw some weird puppet video on YouTube Kids (which is supposed to be filtered!) and now she's having nightmares. Like actually scared to go to sleep. We haven't let her watch YouTube much since but I'm paranoid about what else is on there. We switched to Netflix Kids and Puffin Rock exclusively but I feel like I'm being paranoid? Should kids just be tougher about this stuff or is YouTube actually dangerous for young kids?

6 comments410 views

Comments(6)

BBrian L.RegularJan 1

Sorry this happened to your daughter. That stuff genuinely freaks kids out and can affect their sleep for weeks. Did she talk about what she saw?

BByron S.RegularJan 1

Yeah that stuff is scary. We completely stopped using YouTube Kids and just use Disney Plus and PBS Kids now. Way more control over what actually gets recommended.

CChristopher J.New DadJan 1

Same here. Our 5yo saw some weird stuff on YouTube Kids and had nightmares. The filtering system is basically useless. Have you tried blocking YouTube entirely and going with safer apps instead?

CChristopherNew DadJan 1

YouTube Kids is way less safe than parents think it is. The algorithm can pull some really weird stuff sometimes. We switched to just curating a specific list of channels for our kids to watch from.

WWes B.RegularJan 3

This happened to mine too and she wouldn't sleep alone for like a week after seeing some creepy character video. It's honestly ridiculous that content like that gets labeled as kid friendly.

PPhil K.RegularJan 3

Honestly one of the reasons we limit screen time to begin with. The stuff that slips through YouTube's filters is wild. Better to just stick with pre approved shows on streaming services you can control.