YouTube limits harmful video recommendations to protect teenagers' mental health

YouTube announced on Thursday that it will reduce the frequency of "repeated recommendations" of videos that may harm the mental health of teenagers, as digital platform practices for youth engagement come under close scrutiny by authorities.

A statement from the Google-owned platform noted that videos "comparing physical features and suggesting that some are superior or that specific levels of fitness or ideal body weight" will not be frequently recommended to teenagers in the United States initially, and later in other countries within the next year.

James Beser, an official at the platform, stated, "Teenagers are more susceptible than adults to developing negative self-images when they repeatedly encounter messages focused on ideal standards in the content they consume online."

In the past week, more than 40 US states filed lawsuits against the "Meta" company, accusing Facebook and Instagram of causing "mental and physical health damage to young people."

Prosecutors asserted that the social media giant uses features that lead to addictive behavior, with the knowledge that prolonged use of these apps inflicts "significant harm" to the health of young individuals.

Similar allegations have been directed at the TikTok app, leading to bans by many organizations and the state of Montana for geopolitical and child protection reasons.

The Pew Research Center indicates that 95 percent of American youths aged 13 to 17 use social media, with a third of them using it "almost constantly."

In addition, YouTube reminded of measures originally taken to protect teenagers, such as removing content that includes hate speech, harassment, or eating disorders-related disturbances.

The platform also intends to increase reminders for internet users under the age of 18 to take breaks or get sufficient sleep.