When it comes to discussing YouTube with their children, there are many parents who wonder exactly what YouTube is. If you have never heard of YouTube or visited it before, it is advised that you do before talking to your children about it. Once you visit the YouTube website, you will see that it is a video sharing website. Those who are thirteen years and older are able to register for a free YouTube account. Once an account has been registered, those with accounts can watch YouTube videos, rate them, or discuss them with other YouTube members, as well as share their own videos online.

With YouTube safety, most of the focus should be placed on uploading and sharing videos, but it is also important that you touch on watching videos as well. There are a number of YouTube videos that have adult content. While YouTube tries to ensure that each of these videos is marked, in one way or another, not all are. You will want to remind your child they are they are just, a child. You may even want to put limits on the type of videos that they watch. For instance, it is more that possible to find educational videos on YouTube, like how-to guides. It may be a good idea for your children to view those types of videos, as they will likely receive a little bit of education at the same time.

As previously stated, most of the focus should be placed on uploading videos to YouTube. In the past, a large number of YouTube members posted videos that had clips from their favorite movies, television shows, or music videos. Due to copyright issues, YouTube is trying to cut down on these types of videos, as they are actually illegal with out the proper permission. You may want to explain this to your children, as they may not be familiar with copyrights and how they work. In most cases, should your children post a video on YouTube that they don’t have permission to do, the video will likely be removed, but as more and more companies are fed up with their work being displayed on the internet, more serious action may be taken.

It is also important that you talk to your children about safety, when sharing a video on YouTube or even when making a video with the sole purpose of putting it on the YouTube website. One popular type of video that many young adults, including high school students, are making are video blogs. Video blogs are like traditional blogs, where they outline the happenings in ones life, but they are in video format. The only problem with video blog is that many YouTube members are sitting right in front of the camera, exposing their faces for everyone to see. While this can be considered safe, giving out too much information, while showing your face isn’t. You will want to let your children know that they shouldn’t, under any circumstances, give out their full name, their address, or their phone numbers, even cell phone numbers.
It is also advised that you talk to your children about internet predators. Although YouTube members are able to talk to each other, the dangers of meeting online predators aren’t as high as on traditional social networking sites, like MySpace, but the threat still exists. Let your children know that you do not want him or her talking to other YouTube members, as they never really know who is behind the computer. If you and your children cannot reach an agreement, you may want to think about blocking the YouTube website from your computers.

Perhaps, the most important safety tip that you need to remember is to protect your identity. You will want to refrain from mentioning your name in your YouTube videos, especially your full name. You will also want to refrain from mentioning your address in any of your YouTube videos. While you may think that mentioning the city or town that you live in is okay, as long as you don’t give your street address, you may want to rethink doing so. There are a large number of internet users who are resourceful; with the right information, they can easily find out important information about you, including where you live.

One of the reasons why YouTube is so popular, aside from the fact that you can watch or upload movies to the YouTube site for free, is the fact that you can rate, leave comments, or talk about YouTube videos with other internet users. If you talk with certain members enough you may end up developing a close online friendship with them. Still, it is advised that you keep the previously mentioned safety tip in mind; do not give out any of your personal information. Whenever you use the internet, whether you are using YouTube or not, you need to remember that it is difficult, if not impossible, to verify who is sitting behind the computer screen on the other end of your conversation. No matter what online exchanges take place, you will want to protect your identity.

When it comes to internet users further researching you, many YouTube video submitters wonder why anyone would do such a thing. While different individuals have different motives, you should always assume that those motives are not in your best interest. As stated above, different internet users have different motives, but one thing that seems to motivate them is seductive or attractive looking internet users. Even if you are creating a video blog or a comedy skit, you will want to keep a close eye on your appearance. Of course, you will want to look your best, but you want to be sure not to take it too far, as many can misinterpret your intentions; possibly putting you in harms way.

It is also advised that you be careful with what you post online, if you are making a video of yourself and your friends. You need to make sure that all video stars know your intentions of posting the video for sharing on YouTube. If you have a video that you shot candidly, you need to use your best judgment. You want to be cautious of ingraining on anyone’s privacy, as it may not only reflect negatively on you, but it may also land you in hot water. It is also advised that you refrain from posting clips of movies, television shows, or music videos that you do not have rights to. This is a violation of copyright. In most cases, your YouTube video will simply be pulled, but, in rare instances, you may be faced with legal action.

The previously mentioned safety tips are just a few of the many that you will want to keep in mind, when making a video to upload on to the YouTube website. In all honesty, it is best if you just use your best judgment. Should you feel uncomfortable doing something, like just making a YouTube video in general, you are advised to listen to your gut, as it is often the best sign of trouble to come.