YouTube is rolling out some new updates to its parental controls, which will enable parents to manage their kids’ screen time, with specific elements for Shorts versus the regular YouTube feed. Because like TikTok and Reels, the never-ending Shorts feed of video clips can be addictive, and can keep people scrolling longer than they intend to.

In order to help manage this, YouTube will now give parents a new option to implement a “Shorts Feed Limit,” so they can set an amount of time that their kids can scroll through Shorts.

“Parents can now help teens be even more intentional about how they watch, with a control to set the amount of time spent scrolling Shorts. And soon, parents will see the option to set the timer to zero. For example, they can set the Shorts feed limit to zero when they want their teen to use YouTube to focus on homework, and change it to 60 minutes during a long car trip to be entertained.”

So parents will now have more capacity to manage when their children are allowed to scroll through Shorts, which could address concerns around them wasting hours mindlessly swiping through the feed.

If, of course, those parents are actually using YouTube’s parental controls, and are able to oversee that detail, while it also depends on how kids are viewing YouTube (i.e. if they’re logged in). That’s a whole other element, but it

Provides another option that will enable parents to better manage their kids’ time in the app, which could provide more assurance.

Which leads into the next update: YouTube’s also rolling out an updated sign-up/sign-in experience which will enable parents create accounts for their kids, and easily switch between accounts in the mobile app, depending on who’s watching.

So it’s more like the Netflix or Disney+ style of log in, where each account’s individual settings will be customized based on each user. That’ll give parents another way to ensure their kids are having a safe viewing experience, by choosing what level of content exposure they’re comfortable with for their kids. And YouTube is confident that its content filtering tools do keep kids away from harmful content, which, in its view, provides a better approach than trying to ban teens from the app.

Overall, YouTube’s new updates demonstrate a stronger commitment to helping parents guide their teens’ viewing habits without completely restricting access. By introducing features like the Shorts Feed Limit and account-specific settings, parents gain more control over screen time and content exposure, while teens can continue enjoying the platform in a safer, more intentional way. These changes strike a balance between supervision and freedom, making it easier for families to manage digital experiences responsibly.