YouTube launches Youth Digital Wellbeing Initiative globally

YouTube has announced a new partnership with content creators to launch the Youth Digital Wellbeing Initiative. This effort aims to make online experiences safer and healthier for young users around the world. CEO Neal Mohan shared details about the initiative on Tuesday. The initiative involves over a dozen content creators and distributors from ten countries. It seeks to create high-quality, age-appropriate content for children and teenagers. YouTube's existing youth-focused offerings, like YouTube Kids, will be built upon through this new initiative. Mohan emphasized that the wellbeing of young people is a major focus for YouTube. The collaboration includes well-known companies such as ChuChu TV, Moonbug, Khan Academy, and The Pinkfong Company. The initiative has two main goals: giving youth better choices and protecting them from online dangers. To achieve these goals, YouTube plans to set age-appropriate defaults for sensitive content. They will also invest in media literacy resources and reinforce safety measures against harmful material. Vinoth Chandar, who leads ChuChu TV, highlighted the importance of creating safe content that encourages learning while supporting emotional wellbeing. The initiative will limit how much low-quality content youth can see. It will also help guide them to crisis resources if they encounter sensitive topics like self-harm. This move is part of YouTube's ongoing efforts to enhance the experiences of young users, which includes recent work with the American Psychological Association to support parents.