YouTube has announced that it will be implementing changes to its platform to prevent recommending videos to teenagers that idealize specific fitness levels, body weights, or physical features. The decision comes after experts warned that repeated viewing of such content could be harmful to young users’ wellbeing.
While 13- to 17-year-olds will still be able to view the videos, YouTube’s algorithms will no longer push them towards related content that could be potentially damaging. The platform’s global head of health, Dr. Garth Graham, explained that repeated consumption of content featuring idealized standards could lead some teens to form negative beliefs about themselves.
The new guidelines, which have been introduced in the UK and worldwide, focus on content that idealizes certain physical features, fitness levels, body weights, or encourages social aggression. YouTube’s youth and families advisory committee identified that while individual videos may be harmless, repeated viewing could cause issues.
In the UK, the recently introduced Online Safety Act requires tech companies to protect children from harmful content and consider how algorithms may expose under-18s to damaging material. Professor Sonia Livingstone emphasized the importance of addressing social media’s impact on self-esteem, particularly among young people with vulnerabilities and mental health problems.
The changes by YouTube have been welcomed by experts as a positive step towards promoting healthy self-image and behaviors among teenagers. By implementing “guardrails” to prevent repeated exposure to harmful content, the platform aims to support teens in maintaining healthy patterns as they navigate social media influences.
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