YouTube is a nightmare (rant)

Nov 221 min read

Why is it so hard to just keep kids on actual educational content?? My 8yo watched one video about Minecraft and now the algorithm is feeding him skibidi toilet content and these creepy deep-fried meme compilations. I've turned on restricted mode, blocked channels, everything. He still somehow finds garbage. YouTube Kids is useless. Thinking about just deleting the app and we watch Netflix documentaries instead because at least I can vet those beforehand.

8 comments124 views

Comments(8)

NNolan J.Regular1d ago

lol the skibidi toilet phase hit my 7yo hard too. I feel your pain

TThomas H.Regular1d ago

The Netflix strategy is definitely easier but heads up - you'll need to refresh his content options pretty regularly or he'll start asking about the same shows. Rotation is key. We do Netflix + Tinkercad videos (curated playlists) + Duolingo for language stuff and that seems to hit the balance between educational and actually interesting to an 8yo

AAdam J.Regular1d ago

The algorithm is absolutely designed to keep kids watching, not to keep them safe. It's predatory by design. I switched to Jellyfin (self-hosted media server) and it's been a game changer - yeah it takes setup time but at least I control what's available. Worth considering if you're tech-inclined.

LLou P.Regular1d ago

Have you tried using a separate Google account for him with parental controls through Family Link? You can actually whitelist specific channels instead of just blocking. Still not perfect but better than YouTube Kids IMO. Also helped me understand what he was actually watching vs what he claimed to watch lol

TTony V.Regular1d ago

Wait, restricted mode didn't help at all? That's concerning because I thought that was supposed to filter out the weirder stuff. Did you check if he's somehow turning it off himself or is the algorithm just that aggressive?

HHank C.Regular1d ago

This might be controversial here but we just... don't do YouTube anymore except for specific curated playlists my wife makes. Kids watch Khan Academy through our smart TV, Crash Course Kids, stuff like that. Takes more effort upfront but honestly the peace of mind is worth it. Netflix documentaries are solid but documentaries get old fast - what about educational YouTube channels specifically? Like Kurzgesagt, Veritasium, stuff made for that purpose rather than algorithmic feeds?

TTony G.Regular1d ago

deleted my kids' YouTube access last year and haven't looked back. the second I blocked one weird rabbit hole he found three more. it's endless. Netflix + PBS Kids app + some curated educational apps is way less stressful

BBenny R.Regular1d ago

One thing that actually worked for us: we use YouTube but only through our account on a family TV where I pre-approve videos. Takes way more parental effort but he can't just rabbit hole into the algorithm void. Yeah it means "but daaaad I want to watch it" happens sometimes but at least I'm not discovering he's been watching deep-fried minecraft compilations at 11pm