YouTube is restricting teenagers’ exposure to fitness and weight-related videos to protect their wellbeing. This means that the platform’s algorithm will no longer make repeated recommendations of content that focuses on achieving specific fitness levels or body weights, or extols particular physical features.
This could include gym routines that involve pursuing a certain look, and videos that idealise beauty features – such as “how to get a chiselled jawline”. At the same time, Youtube is placing restrictions on recommending content “displaying social aggression and intimidation” for under-18s.
But these changes do not stop teens searching for and viewing such content in the first place – and may not be enough to make a meaningful change.
