The St. Thomas Police Service is continuing its weekly “Cyber Spotlight” series today, aimed at helping families navigate online safety this summer.
Here’s Corporate Communications Coordinator Samantha Wakefield, who explains further.
This week, the spotlight is on YouTube—a popular video-sharing platform that entertains and educates, but also comes with real online safety concerns for kids and teens.
Wakefield says that while YouTube offers plenty of great content, parents should be aware of potential risks.
As a result, the STPS has posted a step-by-step safety guide of What Parents Need to Know:
YouTube allows anyone to upload and view videos, and while there is plenty of positive, educational content, there’s also material that may be:
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Inappropriate: Content can promote unsafe challenges, harmful behaviors, or disturbing themes not suited for younger viewers.
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Abusive or Negative: Comments can often include bullying, hate speech, or abusive language that may affect mental health.
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Unfiltered Access: Without safety controls, kids may be exposed to disturbing videos through autoplay or misleading thumbnails.
YouTube also recommends content based on viewing history, which means one poor choice can lead to a chain of unsuitable suggestions.
YouTube Safety Tips for Families:
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Use YouTube Kids: This child-friendly version filters out most inappropriate content and offers more control for parents.
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Turn off Autoplay: This reduces the risk of your child falling into a spiral of unsafe or misleading videos.
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Supervised Accounts: YouTube allows parents to manage what content their child can access based on maturity settings.
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Restrict Comments: Consider turning off comments on your child’s uploads or using filters to block certain words.
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Enable Restricted Mode: Found in account settings, this hides most flagged content.
Security Settings for All Users:
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Use a strong, unique password for your YouTube/Google account.
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Enable Two-Step Verification (2SV) for added protection.
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Regularly update your password and check account activity.
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Review connected apps and remove any that are unused.
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Ensure your recovery email/phone number is current in case of account lockout.
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Most importantly, make sure your email account is secure—it’s the gateway to everything.
Wakefield says that YouTube can be a great tool for learning and creativity—when the right settings and conversations are in place.
The Cyber Spotlight series launched earlier this month with a look at Snapchat and Roblox.
Each Monday through the summer, the St. Thomas Police will continue to highlight popular apps and platforms, helping families promote safer, smarter screen time.
Written by: Kennedy Freeman
