Age Restriction on Family-Friendly YouTube Videos: Risks and Rewards
As a content creator on YouTube, you may encounter the dilemma of whether to age restrict your videos. For creators who focus on family-friendly content like travel, this can seem like a nuanced decision. Should you age restrict your videos, or should you leave them open to a wider audience? This article will explore the implications of age restricting your YouTube content, especially when it comes to monetization and audience reach.
The Risks of Age Restricting Your Videos
Age restriction on YouTube videos can indeed limit the potential viewership and the associated monetization opportunities. When a video is age restricted, it means that it is only visible to individuals who meet a specific age criterion, such as 18 years of age or older. This approach can sometimes be necessary to comply with certain laws and policies, particularly if the content contains mature or explicit material.
Monetization Impact
One of the primary downsides of age restricting your videos is that it reduces the number of potential viewers. Advertisers and sponsors are usually looking for the largest audience possible, and age-restricted content does not fit their criteria. Monetization through advertising is often one of the most significant revenue streams for YouTube creators. If your video is age restricted, it may not be eligible for ad monetization, or it might have limited ad placements. Similarly, sponsors are more likely to engage with content when they can reach a broader audience.
Is Age Restriction Necessary for Family-Friendly Content?
Travel videos, which are inherently family-friendly and cater to a wide audience, do not typically warrant age restriction. If your travel videos are suitable for all ages, there is no need to place an age barrier. However, if your content occasionally includes mature themes, personal stories, or sensitive topics, it might be appropriate to age restrict your videos.
Not Made for Kids
YouTube provides a middle category called 'not made for kids' for videos that are not specifically targeted at children but are neither explicitly mature. By setting your video as 'not made for kids', you retain a wider audience base while still avoiding the pitfalls of age restriction. This category allows for a balance between keeping the content accessible and ensuring compliance with YouTube's guidelines and laws such as COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act).
Setting Your Video Audience
The settings on YouTube allow you to choose how your videos are viewed.
Audience for Your Video
No, it's not made for kids:
This option maintains the content accessible to viewers of all ages while still complying with legal requirements. Features like personalized ads and notifications will still be available to viewers, but your content is not targeted at children under 13.
Yes, it's made for kids:
Personalized ads and notifications won't be available, and the content will be more likely to be recommended alongside other kids' videos. However, this categorization might limit your broader audience reach.
Restrict to viewers over 18:
This restricts the video to an adult audience, which can significantly limit the ad and sponsorship opportunities available.
Conclusion
Deciding whether to age restrict your YouTube videos is a complex decision that depends on the nature of your content. For family-friendly travel videos, it is generally better to keep the age restriction off and set the video as 'not made for kids'. This approach ensures you maintain a broad audience while still complying with legal requirements and maximizing your monetization opportunities.