YouTube announced Tuesday the launch of a new dedicated section for teen-focused mental health and wellbeing content, making it easier for users 13-17 years old to find age-appropriate information on topics like depression, anxiety, ADHD, and eating disorders.
When adolescents search for terms like “depression” in the search bar, a specific row of videos appears at the top of the results. According to YouTube, these videos come from reputable sources and are tailored to the developmental stage of teenagers. The company collaborated with organizations that specialize in mental health and well-being information for young people, such as the Child Mind Institute.
This launch signifies a move toward making YouTube a trustworthy resource for younger users facing mental health challenges. A 2023 survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates that 39.7% of students felt ongoing sadness and hopelessness, while 28.5% reported poor mental health.
Additionally, this is a notable addition for the platform as it’s important to reach teens where they already seek information, such as YouTube, with nine out of ten teens reporting they use the platform, according to the Pew Research Center.
Over the years, YouTube has invested in various initiatives to assist teenagers. These include implementing specific safeguards when recommending certain topics to teens, using age-estimation technology to recognize teenage users for a more suitable experience, and providing parental controls that allow parents to link their accounts to their teens’ accounts.
The new mental health and wellbeing offering is rolling out to users in the U.S., the UK, Canada, Mexico, France, and Australia in the coming weeks.
