YouTube Recommended Self – Injury Videos To Children As Young As Thirteen

YouTube bans videos depicting suicide but some remain and have been suggested to children.

We struggle to keep our two daughters off YouTube because of the content that is often recommended to them or that they see without looking for it. Though YouTube maintains that videos depicting suicide are banned from the site, reports from the UK indicate that these videos are still on YouTube and are being recommended to children. I searched 'sucide' on YouTube myself and the results were deeply disturbing. Videos of cartoon characters committing suicide, lists of YouTubers who have killed themselves, and more. YouTube, meanwhile, includes this warning at the top of the page based on my search. This doesn't, however, excuse allowing some of the content that YouTube is currently allowing on its platform.

Suicide is the SECOND leading cause of death among persons ages 10 - 24. Let that sink in. The last thing we need is anything suggesting the idea of suicide or further encouraging it to young people, especially something as widely - used and influential as YouTube and social media. The best thing you can do is talk to the kids in your life about suicide and what they're hearing and seeing about it among their friends and in social media and other forms of entertainment.

If you know someone who is considering suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255. Click here to read about signs that someone you know may be considering suicide.