YouTube allows you to watch live videos or recorded ones online, music videos, homemade, etc. in order to be user friendly and, Google has a safe search feature that is meant to make it safe for you.
Google safe search is a feature on Google search which basically acts as a filter of potentially offensive materials. Safe Search is automated, and once switched on it filters content automatically.
How to use Google's safe search for YouTube
Google has an enable or disable restricted mode feature. The restricted mode screens out potentially inappropriate content one may prefer not to have access to or content that you don't want your family members exposed to especially kids while enjoying YouTube. It has a setting that's called opt-in which is available on the mobile site as well as the computer. It works just like parental control for you tube. Most public institutions have restricted access to certain sites and YouTube content to help the students or affected party concentrate on what they should be doing. The system administrator would have such power in such institutions. This restricted mode has made it safe while using Google search for YouTube. Below is a step-by-step guide on how to enable the safe search/restricted mode on Google
First you need to scroll to the bottom of the YouTube page and in the restricted mode section, click on drop-down menu.
Then select the desired option, either on or off and enable this feature or disable it.
Click on save on the page's bottom and it's as simple as that and now YouTube is safe for your kids to use freely.
In order to lock the restricted mode so that it's effective despite who uses the browser you have to enter your YouTube account's password again so as to lock the restricted mode on your browser after you have enabled restricted mode from Google. the procedure is basically the same for mobile sites as well like Android, iOS, etc. although restricted mode is not 100% accurate for example in local languages, it gives one a sense of security knowing there is something you can do to keep your young ones form having access to inappropriate sites because it uses age-restrictions, community flagging, and many other signals to filter inappropriate content after its identified by Google search.
Is YouTube SafeSearch for kids?
Now the more pressing question is if YouTube is safe for kids and the answer is NO. YouTube unfiltered can expose your kids to all sorts of perverse there is in the world today ranging from sexual to down wright inhuman content. This content can be too much for them to handle and end up affecting them in negative ways.
As much as there is very educative content on YouTube like Google maps, bible stories, safety tips, first aid lessons, etc. there is always a risk or the negative information reaching your kids hence the restricted mode? The safe search lock on Google allows you to protect your strict filter setting with a password. There is a safer version of YouTube that's kid friendly but it's still in the implementation stages and hasn't caught on well yet. Until then, YouTube still poses a great thereat for the kids and hence one needs to learn how to make it safe for them.
First activate parental controls and control every site your kids get to see on YouTube.
Then lock in YouTube safe search as shown above so that even with you absent they can't get content that is in appropriate or too vulgar for them.
Make sure you follow these steps for each browser on your computer separately incase you have more than one browser.
Set up a family account to enable you to keep an eye for which videos your kids watch and the information they get.
Watch YouTube with your kids and get involved so that you have an opportunity to influence their attachment to certain characters and personalities on YouTube. Guide them through all the excitement of YouTube. Incase they don't want to watch with you watch by yourself the channels they are watching later on to determine whether it's okay for them.