YouTube is giving families a long-requested control: the ability to block children and teens from watching Shorts. The company is rolling out tools that let parents either disable the short-form feed entirely or set strict viewing timers for connected child and teen accounts, aiming to curb the pull of endless scroll.
New Controls Target the Infinite Scroll Problem
Parents can now choose to shut off Shorts altogether for a supervised account, either indefinitely or for a set period, like during homework hours. For those who prefer guardrails over a hard stop, YouTube is adding time-based limits specifically for Shorts, alongside customizable Bedtime and Take a Break reminders that nudge kids to step away.
These well-being prompts have existed for adults, but extending them to supervised experiences puts short-form consumption under tighter family control. It’s a notable shift for a format built on rapid-fire recommendations designed to maximize engagement.
Where Parents Can Turn These Settings On
The new settings are available for supervised accounts, which many families manage through Google’s Family Link and YouTube’s supervised experience for tweens and teens. YouTube also says it is simplifying the in-app sign-in flow so parents and kids can switch between profiles with fewer taps, reducing the chances of a child watching on the wrong account and polluting recommendations.
As with most parental tools, effectiveness depends on consistent use. Families should ensure kids are actually logged into their supervised account on every device, including TVs and browsers, not just phones.
Why Shorts Needed a Hard Stop for Young Users
Short-form video is deliberately sticky. Clips auto-play, the feed never ends, and the next hit is always a swipe away. That design has made Shorts a growth engine for YouTube, but it also concentrates attention in ways parents struggle to moderate.
Research underscores the stakes. The Pew Research Center reports that 95% of U.S. teens use YouTube and 19% say they are on the platform almost constantly. The U.S. Surgeon General’s advisory on social media and youth mental health urges time limits and screen-free bedtimes—exactly the sort of controls YouTube is now making easier to apply to Shorts.
In the UK, Ofcom has consistently found YouTube to be the most-used online platform among children, highlighting the outsized role it plays in youth media diets. Putting a specific brake on Shorts acknowledges that format, not just content, drives overuse.
Industry Context and Compliance Pressure
YouTube’s move lands amid a broader safety reset across social apps. TikTok introduced a default 60-minute daily limit for users under 18 (teens can extend it, but prompts add friction). Instagram and Snapchat have expanded family supervision tools, time-limit options, and quiet modes to reduce nighttime usage.
Regulators are also turning up the heat. The EU’s Digital Services Act requires platforms to assess and mitigate systemic risks to minors, and the UK’s Online Safety Act empowers Ofcom to set binding codes for child safety. In the U.S., state attorneys general and pediatric associations have pressed for product changes that reduce compulsive design patterns. A Shorts block and timers are squarely in line with those expectations.
What This Means for Families Using Supervised YouTube
Practically, the new controls let caregivers tailor YouTube to the moment. Block Shorts entirely on school nights to keep kids focused on long-form tutorials or educational playlists, then allow a limited window on weekends. Pair the Shorts block with Bedtime and Take a Break reminders for a layered approach that catches late-night or extended sessions.
Consider complementary measures: device-level downtime on iOS or Android, app limits for video in general, and conversations about why the limits exist. For younger children, YouTube Kids remains the more curated option; older kids may be better served by the supervised experience with tighter settings. Remember that account-hopping can defeat controls—lock down alternative accounts and guest modes where possible.
What to Watch Next as YouTube Rolls Out Controls
Execution details will matter. Parents will look for the Shorts tab to disappear in supervised profiles and for Shorts links not to play from search or channel pages. If the controls are airtight, they could meaningfully shift time from snackable clips to longer videos that better support study and skill-building.
YouTube is also investing in age-estimation technology to deliver more age-appropriate experiences, another signal that account-level scaffolding will keep evolving. The bigger question is whether platforms will extend similar hard stops to other engagement levers, like autoplay and late-night notifications, by default for teens. For now, giving parents the power to take Shorts off the table is a concrete, overdue step.
