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YouTube, Google, and Your Kids

This week, Google announced that it had purchased YouTube.com.

For parents who haven't heard of it, YouTube is the enormously popular social networking and video sharing site where anyone can post anything -- and let anyone view it.

Millions of people worldwide view YouTube videos everyday. Its growth has been explosive, and, to date, there hasn't been any YouTube “online safety czar” (as exists in MySpace-land). It’s a good bet that the Google acquisition will change all that, adding a screening capacity that YouTube currently doesn't have.

But for now, kids have access to anything and everything. And if your young teen boy is interested in “sexy girls” (mine sure is), all he has to do is type in that “tag” and presto: many, many videos, most of which make my hair stand on end. ...

I found my nephew’s YouTube videos by accident. Following a trail that led from his MySpace page, I clicked on something, and there they were: his send up of Brokeback Mountain and some other dancing thing that I think was set to his own music, although it was hard to tell.

Anything to be concerned about? No, these were pretty tame. But I still broke out into a cold sweat, realizing that most of the tweens and teens in my life have the means and the know-how to post videos online, often in places that their parents don’t even know exist. All it takes is a cell phone or digital camera that can record videos and an Internet connection, and voila! Yikes.

Here are a few tips for parents about YouTube:

1. Go to YouTube and check it out so you know the good, the bad, and the ugly.

2. Check your child’s URL history and see if they've been on YouTube. That’s the easiest way to start the conversation. Ask your kids if they've ever posted anything, and if so, what? Ask them what they enjoy about it.

3. YouTube is not for people under the age of 13. The site says that minors ages 13-17 are welcome if they have permission from a parent or legal guardian. Sure ...

4. How can you tell if your kids have posted on YouTube? If they have a MySpace page, believe me, the link is there. Follow it.

5. Remind your kids that posting videos can be really fun, but they never know who's watching. YouTube has millions of viewers all over the world. If you let them post, tell your kids to mark their videos as “private” so that only their friends can watch them. (You can figure out how to do this by going to the “Safety Tips” link at the bottom of all YouTube pages.)

6. Tell your kids to protect their identities. No-nos for videos include license plate numbers and images of your house, their bedroom, or their school. Make sure that all “tags” (search identifiers) don't reveal their real names, locations, schools, or anything else that could lead unsavory types to their doors.

7. Report any and all bullying, flaming, or inappropriate communications. Since people can comment on the videos, it can get nasty. Tell your kids to report any harassment immediately. The instructions are on the YouTube Safety Tips page.

8. Kids should report anything they see that's hateful, pornographic, or violent. Or they should tell you. And you can report oit. YouTube is a self-policing site, so encourage your kids to make it safe for others.

9. If you decide to let your kids post videos, ask to see them first. Your kids probably won’t say yes, but it can’t hurt to ask.

10. Finally, keep the dialogue open between you and your kids. Forbidding older teens to post will just force them underground. You want to make sure your kids feel comfortable coming to you if they're bothered by something or someone on the site.