YouTube Shorts' endless scrolling could end for young users, only if parents want

Platform features like Instagram's Reels and YouTube Shorts seem to be endless, but the latter is going to be limited for young users, but only if their parents would want.

The above statement is validated by YouTube's recently introduced parental controls, allowing parents to monitor and control the time their teenagers spend on YouTube's short-form video feature, Shorts. Parents can even block it outright.

The thoughtful move is part of a broader effort by the tech titan to better protect young users amid increasing scrutiny from families, advocates, and lawmakers.

YouTube's latest features for parents 

After recognising the addictive nature of endless scrolling, particularly among younger users, YouTube has enabled parents to set time limits on Shorts usage, ranging from two hours to zero minutes.

For instance, parents have the option to restrict the access to zero minutes when they want their teen to concentrate on homework, or make it last 60 minutes during long car journeys for entertainment.

Moreover, YouTube's new parental features offer customisable bedtime reminders and “take a break” notifications for children, building on existing automated features that apply by default to users under 18.

Making supervised accounts on YouTube has also been made hassle-free to make it easier for parents to manage their kids' access on shared devices.

Such careful updates align with YouTube’s last year's commitment to utilise AI to assess users’ ages and take appropriate measures for suspected teen accounts.

Other platforms like ncluding Instagram and ChatGPT have also implemented additional parental controls recently.