YouTube Ground Rules

YouTube How-To

By Sharon Miller Cindrich

Q: My 12-year-old son and his friends like to make short movies using our video camera. Now they want to post them on YouTube. Should I let them?

YouTube can offer a great outlet for creative teens, but the site really leaves it up to parents to set boundaries. While YouTube’s policy forbids video uploads that contain pornography or gratuitous violence, the site does not monitor or screen video. (YouTube relies on its users to flag any video they find offensive for review.) So, before posting video, consider these guidelines:

Set an age requirement.
Although there is no age requirement for YouTube users, YouTube is a social network of sorts – people can post content and give feedback. For this reason, kids should be at least 13 before they participate on their own.

Review what’s appropriate – and safe!
Help teens realize that making fun of others, sending a video message to others or mimicking stereotypes is not appropriate. Even kids who are savvy about protecting their private information may not realize that identifying background items in video footage (such as their home, neighborhood, bedroom or school) can compromise their safety.

Require permission.
Teens should ask permission from parents before uploading video. This gives parents a chance to screen the video and have conversations about content boundaries. If other kids are in the video, all parents should give consent before the video is posted.

Need to delete a video?
If your child has uploaded a video without your permission and you want to delete it, simply log into the account, click the "My Account" link, then the "Remove Video" button. Choose from the list of videos – a prompt will ask if you’re sure. Click "Yes," and the video will be removed.

Sharon Miller Cindrich is a mother of two and the author of E-Parenting: Keeping Up with your Tech-Savvy Kids.