Today, I’m taking you to YouTube! In today’s world nothing goes on without being videotaped. Cameras and video surveillances are all around us and are recording our every move. Some can be good, keep us safe and help us, but others can lead down a dangerous road.
Did you know that only about 7%-8% of teens have a YouTube account? That doesn’t sound so bad. But, here’s the real scoop. You don’t have to have a YouTube account to read and view the videos being uploaded. Ask any teenager if they’ve surfed YouTube videos and 99.9999% will say, yes.
Several online surveys states that 93% of teens visit YouTube at least once a week. According to YouTube’s online facts – 2 billion videos are watched every day. Two billion! That doesn’t seem possible.
Safety wise, YouTube isn’t really the place for teens to connect or meet up with people or strangers. And YouTube does state they prohibit pornography, drug abuse, underage drinking. That’s great, however, what’s alarming is what teens are viewing and reading. Foul language, racial slurs, questionable behavior and comments run reckless.
So what do we do as parents or grandparents? First of all, we need to be tuned into what teens are doing.
- Search the internet and find out what’s trending. Find out what videos teens are watching and why.
- Learn about YouTube challenges and talk with your daughter about the dangers. What are challenges? They are dares and they are videotaped. For example – the “cinnamon challenge,” in which people try to eat ground cinnamon in a short amount of time without water. It’s impossible to do. The challenge can leave a person gasping for air and water, and can even lead to sudden health issues, like a collapsed lung.
Then, there is the “salt and ice challenge,” in which people put salt on their skin then hold an ice cube over it for as long as they can withstand the pain. This can cause severe burns. Neither of these challenges can be considered smart or intelligent things to do. Yet, there are thousands of YouTube videos showing people, young and old, participating in them.
- Be aware of what your teen daughter is viewing or uploading to YouTube. Once it’s out there, it’s out there. Videos are very difficult to remove because of the rapid rate they are shared and embedded on other social networks.
This is real life with today’s girls. And even in these out of control times – stay encourage, the Lord is still in control.
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
~ John 16:33
Terry Squires is a veteran author and creator of many gift products for teens and adults. She is the author/creator of the bestselling TodaysGirls.com series of twelve mysteries and a journal for teen girls. She also authored the Communicate Christ series, God’s Stories-My First Thoughts, Bible Stories for Bedtime and now introduces the ONE Impact Bible Bible published by Zondervan.
In addition to a busy writing schedule, Terry speaks nationally and mentors thousands of teen girls on her online ministry, TodaysGirls.com. She is a BSN graduate of Valparaiso University and is a RN. Terry lives in Nashville, Tennessee and is married to Ted Squires. Together, they have four grown sons, three grandsons, and a boston terrier named, Reagan.
Learn more about the talented author Terry Squires
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