YouTube Premium Subscription
If you’re anything like this writer, YouTube bombards you with countless pop-ups and interruptions encouraging you to upgrade to their paid subscription tier. That constant prodding is annoying enough on its own, but ParentsTogether says the subscription may move beyond annoying and actually present real danger when served up to young users.
The $11.99 paid tier removes YouTube’s incessant ads from videos and grants full access to YouTube music and a selection of original content. It also, according to ParentsTogether, comes with a risk of addiction and creepy adult interactions. While YouTube age restricts adult content, young users can easily work around those guardrails and even stumble upon violent or sexual content. And while experts disagree on the science behind just how harmful social media can be on a psychological level, ParentsTogether boldly proclaims YouTube is, “designed to be addictive.”
The reality is, like most social media, teens and kids are going to make their way online one way or another. Still, it’s best not to make it easier than necessary.
