YouTube’s announced some new limitations on content recommendations for teens, which are aimed at limiting the potential harmful effects of overexposure in the app.
Various studies have shown that YouTube’s recommendations can lead people down harmful content rabbit holes, and can even radicalize them in the worst cases.
Even worse, social media recommendations, weighted by what each user pays attention to, can amplify areas of concern, by showing people more content that then exacerbates their feelings.
As such, YouTube’s taking steps to limit recommendations of content to teens:
- That compares physical features, and idealizes some types over others
- That idealizes specific fitness levels or body weights
- That displays social aggression, in the form of non-contact fights and intimidation
These are pretty broad definitions, and it’ll be interesting to see how, exactly, YouTube plans to implement these restrictions. But conceptually at least, this should reduce the harms caused by repeated exposure to content that can amplify inadequacies and social comparisons.
It’s the latest in YouTube’s limits on content recommendations for teens, with the platform also restricting certain content, and repeated exposure to clips, relating to child safety, eating disorders, and harassment.
Again, the actual algorithmic policing of such is complex, and creators are always working to find ways around detection in certain areas, which can make enforcement difficult (using “unalived” instead of “killed” for example). But from a concept level, this is an important and worthy push, which will ideally reduce harm.
YouTube says the new restrictions will be implemented globally, while it’s also rolling out new crisis support resource panels for teen users in Europe as well.
In combination, this is an important area of ongoing focus for the app.
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