For teens and young people, YouTube is stopping video recommendations that idealize certain body types, fitness levels, or other physical features to aid teen well-being.
According to a blog post from YouTube, experts warned that, if viewed repeatedly, such videos could harm wellbeing. While teens (defined as 13-17 years old) will still be able to view this content, YouTube’s adjusted algorithms will ensure that they aren’t able to go down a “rabbit hole.”
These new guidelines, which have been implemented globally, apply to content that “compares physical features and idealizes some types over others, idealizes specific fitness levels or body weights, or displays social aggression in the form of non-contact fights and intimidation.”
However, YouTube isn’t straight-up banning these types of videos, noting that while such content “may be innocuous as a single video” it could “be problematic for some teens if viewed repetitively.”
“Teens are more likely than adults to form negative beliefs about themselves when seeing repeated messages about ideal standards in content they consume online,” YouTube added.
Allison Briscoe-Smith, a clinician and YouTube adviser, said: “A higher frequency of content that idealizes unhealthy standards or behaviors can emphasize potentially problematic messages – and those messages can impact how some teens see themselves.”
“‘Guardrails’ can help teens maintain healthy patterns as they naturally compare themselves to others and size up how they want to show up in the world.”
