Have you ever thought about how much time children spend on YouTube? The Social Shepherd provides the number of almost 1.5 hours daily only on the mobile app. It means that if we count YouTube playing on the TV, YouTube playing on the PC while eating, in the background, and consciously watching, this number can triple. That is why many parents start wondering how to limit YouTube time for their children so that they pay more attention to their homework, socialization, or simply find other hobbies.
We at uMobix have been working on features to ease parenting for almost a decade now, and we will happily share tips on screen time monitoring, why it is important, and what tools to use. Do not leave this page, stay tuned, and get an explanation from real experts in YouTube parental controls.
Why Is It Important to Set YouTube Kids Time Limit?
Access to YouTube Kids completely changes the way children use their smartphones. News Medical Magazine conducted research and found out that children who do not use YouTube Kids use their smartphones frequently but for short periods of time, while children who are exposed to the service use their devices not less frequently but for longer periods. That is why it is essential to know how to limit YouTube time for children, otherwise they will simply get lost there: the sessions will become longer, and tantrums when turning it off – more frequent.
Another big problem is the content children consume on YouTube. Obviously, parents mostly play something on the platform for their kids when they need to have rest or need to do something; it means they do not really control what children consume. Of course, there is YouTube Kids, where parents can choose what they want their children to watch, but even that type of content can be harmful.
One of the most popular YouTube channels for children, Cocomelon, has recently been in the discussion as many parents are concerned about its content for several reasons:
- frames change extremely fast, every 1-2 seconds, which makes it more addictive for kids and harms their concentration skills;
- a lot of songs and situations shown there often lead to behavioral problems (for instance, the song about the boy who refuses to go to sleep and says “No” to his parents);
- many songs are repetitive and looped without much sense, which has a hypnotizing effect on the kids: they may not even notice what is happening around them.
It is only one example, but there are lots of cases when parents or behavioral experts face negative effects of children’s content. It has been concluded that children of different ages can spend up to two hours per day watching children’s content, and they should always be accompanied by adults who will explain ambiguous moments and comment on what is happening on the screen. It is also a must to limit YouTube time and spend more time with them.
What YouTube Kids Time Limit Is Optimal?
Let’s equalize YouTube Kids Time with screen time because this question should be approached more globally. There is a YouTube Kids time limit recommendation for different age groups, but they work only if children switch from YouTube to Netflix when their time is up. The OSF Healthcare magazine suggests the following:
- children under 2 years old should not have any screen time at all;
- children from 2 to 5 should watch YouTube not more than an hour per day and always be accompanied by parents or siblings;
- children from 5 to 17 years old should not exceed 2 hours daily of entertainment screen time (it means homework done on the PC is not counted).
Not following these recommendations and allowing children to watch YouTube for as many hours as they want (usually – many) may lead to obesity, depression, anxiety, and socialization problems. Setting a daily time limit for YouTube, like 30 minutes or an hour, helps manage screen time and encourages your child to make conscious decisions on what to watch. However, knowing that YouTube Kids time should be limited is one thing, and knowing how to put a time limit on YouTube is another.
How to Limit YouTube Time for Kids? 6 Working Tips
Parents are the only people who can control their children’s screen time, so it is essential to understand that any third-party tool is only a tool, not a solution. Here are the recommendations we can give to all parents to ensure that their kids do not spend too much time glued to YouTube.
Use uMobix to Limit YouTube Time
uMobix is an extensive and multifunctional app with several dozens of features and a YouTube tracker among them. If your child has a mobile phone and spends a lot of time watching YouTube from it – you can hardly find a better tool to control their screen time than uMobix. It is also a very simple tool to limit YouTube time, so even if you are not in a good relationship with technology – you should have no problems using it.
So, how to restrict YouTube for kids with uMobix? Install it on their device (it is available for both iOS and Android), and then access your online profile to get all the information about their YouTube usage:
- videos they watch;
- search requests;
- comments left;
- time spent on the app.
When you see that they have already spent too much time on the app – you can temporarily restrict it, and if you notice your child watches inappropriate content – simply block it. As you can see, YouTube parental control by uMobix is very convenient, and the greatest thing about it is that you stay anonymous while applying restrictions remotely.
Filter Content and Set Screen Time Limits via Built-In YouTube Kids Settings
One of the easiest ways on how to put a time limit on YouTube is to use the specially developed application for kids. First of all, parents can filter the content available to their children and select channels available for viewing. For instance, there are a lot of videos where animals are used for different games. Many parents consider such videos inappropriate, and YouTube Kids gives them an opportunity to block such channels.
You can also limit YouTube time with this application in a couple of clicks. Take your child’s phone, launch YouTube Kids, and follow the steps below.
- Find the lock icon at the bottom corner of any page.
- You will be asked to solve a simple math problem to enter the settings.
- Find “Timer” and use the + and – buttons to set the time limit.
- Save the changes.
Now, your child will only be able to watch YouTube for the set time only, and when it expires, the app gets blocked.
Watch YouTube Together with Your Child
How to set time limit on YouTube if you cannot access your child’s phone or you do not want to use YouTube Kids for some reason? The best solution is to watch YouTube together. Parental help and explanation when needed work greatly if your child has questions or wants to discuss what you have just watched.
Moreover, children often lose control over time, and parents, in this case, can stop the video when it is enough. It is a very simple and friendly way how to limit YouTube time. A very good practice is to discuss with the child how long you are going to watch YouTube in advance and set up a timer on your phone. It is important to show it to your child and put on a visible stop. When the time expires – it will be much easier for your child to turn it off and switch to other activities.
Shift Their Focus to Educational Videos
It is a very controversial method, but it can work well for older children, those who study at school. On the one hand, you can limit YouTube time for them; on the other hand, you can also refocus them on something useful. Talk to your child about their interests and plans for the future, notice what excites them, and then limit their YouTube to educational videos on the topic they like. Help your child to move in the needed direction and support them.
Create a Shared Viewing Space
Children often watch YouTube on the tiny screens of their phones. However, why not connect YouTube to the TV in the living room? First of all, they will not harm their eyesight, and secondly, parents can always interact with their kids, discuss what they watch, ask questions, and maybe suggest something similar to watch.
Moreover, when children watch YouTube in a shared space, it is much easier to control what they view, and instead of setting up the YouTube Kids time limit, simply control it yourself. It is also much easier to turn their YouTube off simply by saying, “It is my turn now”.
Introduce Tech-Free Days
Instead of thinking about how to limit YouTube time, you can organize a full digital detox for the whole family. Organize a trip somewhere, go hiking, take tents, and go to the forest. The main idea is to set up the no-phone rule for everyone. Children can switch between activities fast, and if something excites them, and they do not have access to YouTube for some time when they re-gain it, they may not be interested in it so much. How to set time limit on YouTube? Do not set any limits; get rid of it completely and spend more time with your family!
Conclusion
Many parents wonder how to limit YouTube time for their children, but the answer may not be what they want to hear. Of course, there is a uMobix parental control app that can help control screen time on YouTube and social media to encourage healthier digital habits. It is totally fine to use it, but it is aimed at assisting, not solving the problem. Spend time with your children, talk to them, watch YouTube together with them, and remember about YouTube Kids time limit recommendations.
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