Understanding YouTube
YouTube, the popular social Web site that allows anyone to upload online videos, presents a new set of challenges for parents. Because YouTube can be a lot of fun for both parents and kids alike, the more flagrant videos that also populate the Web site can sometimes be overlooked. This guide takes you through what is out there and how to monitor your child’s YouTube use.
Expand All Guide SectionsYouTube Basics
YouTube offers great videos and suspect videos, professionally produced videos and user-generated ... read more »
Posting Online Videos
Many kids today use YouTube videos as a means of artistic and personal expression. Through video logs or edited movies, this online technology allows kids to be creative while also becoming part of a community. Unfortunately, kids are often unaware of the potential ramifications. Use the sites in this section to get up to speed on what posting videos to sites like YouTube really entails.
Dulcinea's Insight
- By publicly posting a video on YouTube, you allow anonymous individuals to comment on the video. User comments can be vicious and could do serious damage to a child’s self-worth. And just as on social networks like MySpace and Facebook, the same risks of potential online predators apply.
- Make sure your children don’t reveal any personal or identifying information in videos that they upload (such as a license plate number, home address or local school sweatshirt). For more personal videos, it’s highly advised that you set your child’s video status to “private,” thereby limiting the viewers of the video to pre-approved individuals.
Dulcinea's Picks
Growing Up Online
provides answers to all the questions that parents need to be aware of if their children want to post videos on YouTube.
Common Sense Media
offers ten tips for parents when it comes to their children using YouTube.
© 2012 Dulcinea Media, Inc.
