Google adds new parental control features to limit kids' screen time on YouTube, Shorts

Excessive screen time, if not controlled, will have a long-term effect on eyes and mental health of children.

In late 2025, Australia issued a government order mandating all social media platforms to disable access to teenagers in the country. The measure was necessitated over rising concerns of mental health, cyberbullying and sexual exploitation of children online.

Thanks to Australia's new order, other governments worldwide are considering bringing similar sanctions.

Now, Google has announced to bring more power to parents to protect their children from too much screen time. YouTube already has some safe guardrails that prevents circulation of age inappropriate content from appearing on accounts held by under 18 age group.

But, excessive screen time, if not controlled, will have a long-term effect on eyes and mental health.

So, YouTube is bringing an option to parents set a time limit ranging from 15 minutes to two hours on both YouTube and YouTube Shorts.

YouTube brings parental control to YouTube and YouTube Shorts.

Also, YouTube will also collaborate with video creators to be more careful about the content they produce and adhere to standards. Also, teen users will be guided to watch fun and education-oriented podcasts and content.

"We’re introducing new principles and a creator guide to steer teens toward content that is fun, age-appropriate, higher-quality, and more enriching. Developed in partnership with our Youth Advisory Committee and the Center for Scholars & Storytellers at UCLA and supported by global experts from the American Psychological Association, Digital Wellness Lab at Boston Children’s Hospital, and other global organizations, these principles outline the types of content that are deemed to be low quality and high quality for teen audiences," said Jennifer Flannery O'Connor, Vice President, Product Management, YouTube.

YouTube mobile app.

In India too, YouTube will steer children to high-quality videos - like those from Khan Academy, CrashCourse, TED-Ed, and other similar genre content.

In the coming weeks, YouTube will bring a new sign-up feature that allows parents to link their accounts with children's and control what they see and limit the viewing time.

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