YouTube will be the last social media app for tweens/teens that I will talk about this week.  Don’t worry, there will be more.  You do not need an account to view videos on YouTube. I repeat – you do not need an account to view videos on YouTube. Yay, somewhere our kids, under 13, can go and not lie!

Slow down! There are a lot of things on there that are not appropriate for kids and may even offend some adults. LoL. Of course, if you have a Gmail account, you already have a YouTube account. Having an account is not the same as having a YouTube Channel. Read on for the differences.

An account will let you subscribe to channels, save videos into playlists and comment on videos. You can also pay for YouTube Red at $9.99/mo. Uninterrupted music, ad-free videos and more. One of the most enticing features, for music fanatics is the ability to play videos in audio only mode. Guess what you can do then? Leave the app running in the background and do other stuff on your phone and the music will not shut off! To most that will be worth the $9.99 a month alone. No ads on videos. Depending on how much those ads really annoy you, this may be your fav feature. You will also get access to YouTube Original shows.

Although YouTube does not allow nudity, gore and a slew of other things, there can be a lot of inappropriate for kids content they could come across. For that reason, there is YouTube Kids.  YouTube Kids is geared toward the younger audience with the look and feel of the original. Shows are kid and family friendly.

Having a channel on YouTube will allow you to post your own videos, share videos and/or do a vlog (video blog).  If your child watches videos of Minecraft or Team10, those are made and uploaded via their channels.  You can also subscribe to a channel so that you don’t miss any new videos posted.

Just before posting this, I was checking all my links and info, for accuracy ya know, and a new YouTube service caught my eye…YouTube TV!  Yes.  Live, streaming television from the video capital of the internet.  You get a 14 day free trial.  Then it is $35/month.  That is worth checking it out in my book.  Other services; Sling TV, Direct TV Now, Hulu Live only offer a 7 day free trial.  With school starting, or in some cases already in session, seven days doesn’t seem like a legit time frame to check things out.  One main account signs up.  Share with up to five others.  You each get your own settings and saves.  Unlimited DVR storage.  Saved items delete after nine months.  So no keeping them forever.

Let me know if you subscribe to any of the live TV services in the comments.  I’m curious to know if we should take the plunge.

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