Avast Blog_Tips & Advices: How to block YouTube on your children’s school devices

[harlan4096]

For parents having issues with your kids facing addictive or inappropriate content on YouTube, we have some advice for you

I love YouTube. Whenever I need to learn how to fix something or want to learn to make something new in the kitchen, I turn to its endless videos. 

As a parent of young kids, I was resigned to the eventuality of YouTube in my children’s lives. When my child started watching sports and nature videos, it all seemed pretty innocuous. Then, during the first lockdown of the Covid-19 pandemic in March, my kids discovered Minecraft gaming videos -- and their use patterns changed in an instant. 

Soon, they were glued to YouTube for hours at a time. I was okay with it. I was trying to keep my head above water at work with three kids at home. And when they were on YouTube, they weren’t fighting. But, soon, they couldn’t stop. When I would suggest other activities, they became angry and lashed out. They bugged me endlessly about getting back on YouTube. 

I tried setting limits, but my will was no match for the lure of YouTube. So to end the pain, I blocked it. After a couple of days, the kids forgot about the gaming videos. We still had some issues around device dependence, but for the most part they were ready to put the screens down when it was time. 

Fast forward to September. Our children “returned to school,” from home. The school district was able to provide each student with a school issued iPad or Chromebook. We took them home and a few days into distance learning, things seemed to be going pretty well. My second and fourth graders were adjusting and they seemed to be able to handle all the time online. So imagine my surprise when I came behind them one afternoon in the first week of school and there on the screen is my arch internet nemesis, “Unspeakable Gaming.”
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