Here’s how you can tighten up those YouTube recommendations and keep things on track:
YouTube Settings to adjust:
- Clear watch history periodically (YouTube Studio > History & Privacy > Clear Watch History)
- Turn off “Watch History” temporarily when he’s browsing new content
- Use Restricted Mode as a baseline filter
- Delete problematic videos from watch history immediately when they appear
Browser/App level controls:
- Consider using YouTube in a private/incognito browser session for exploration
- Set up a separate “study” Google account just for educational content
- Use YouTube Kids app instead of main YouTube for better algorithmic control
Family rules that work:
- “Thumbs down” any video that’s off-topic immediately
- No clicking on thumbnails with exaggerated faces or ALL CAPS titles
- Long-form only rule (10+ minutes) helps avoid shorts rabbit holes
- “Search don’t browse” policy - he searches for specific topics rather than scrolling recommendations
The algorithm learns fast, so being aggressive about thumbs-downs and watch history management makes a big difference. The separate account approach is probably your strongest tool here.