ALBAWABA – YoutTube, the American online video sharing platform owned by Google, said it will limit teenagers’ access to weigh and fitness content. The platform is changing some of its algorithms to prevent promoting these videos to its young viewers.
YouTube stop weigh and fitness videos
The famous platform decided to stop promoting weigh and fitness videos to young and teenage viewers as experts are continuously warning of the harm it can cause. YouTube will still allow young viewers (13-17) years old to view related weigh and fitness videos, but will not promote related content view afterwards or show recommended videos.
Commenting on this, Dr Garth Graham, YouTube’s global head of health, said: “As a teen is developing thoughts about who they are and their own standards for themselves, repeated consumption of content featuring idealized standards that starts to shape an unrealistic internal standard could lead some to form negative beliefs about themselves.”
The famous platform decided to stop promoting weigh and fitness videos to young and teenage viewers as experts are continuously warning of the harm it can cause. (Shutterstock)
It is worth noting that YouTube’s new guidelines are now introduced and implemented in UK, US, and around the world. It will apply to content types that for example idealize physical features like beauty routines and promote fitness goals and body weights like exercise routines.
“A higher frequency of content that idealizes unhealthy standards or behaviors can emphasize potentially problematic messages – and those messages can impact how some teens see themselves. Guardrails’ can help teens maintain healthy patterns as they naturally compare themselves to others and size up how they want to show up in the world,” said Allison Briscoe-Smith, a clinician and YouTube adviser, according to the Guardian.
