YouTube Gaming

Zift Advisory

The YouTube Gaming app is Google’s version of social networking for YouTube gaming fans. YouTube Gaming is for users ages 17 years and older and features additional in-app purchases and advertisements. This app can be downloaded from the App Store and the Google Play Store and can be safe for teens with parental supervision.

About YouTube Gaming

What is YouTube Gaming?

The YouTube Gaming app is Google’s version of social networking for gamers, where users can follow their favorite YouTube gamers and chat with others in the gaming community.

Users can stream game highlights, watch pre-recorded and live-stream gameplay, in addition to chatting with other members.

YouTube Gaming is for users ages 17 years and older, is free to download but does feature additional in-app purchases and advertisements. This app can be downloaded from the App Store and the Google Play Store.

When YouTube Gaming users first open the app, which is connected to their Google account, they will be on the Home screen which displays featured live streams, in addition to options to search the platform by specific game or channel.

When users tap on a particular stream, a separate window will open with the video streaming at the top, and a scrolling chat featured beneath.

Much like the YouTube platform, users can “subscribe” or follow specific gamer’s channels with a simple tap of a star beside the channel creator’s name.

After following, users can quickly navigate to their list of monitored channels to search for specific streamers, or they can scroll through the live feeds on their Homepage where channels they support are also featured.

Is YouTube Gaming safe for my kids?

Parents should know that YouTube Gaming is a live video game site, where gamers across the globe can network.

Open to ages 17-years or older, YouTube Gaming often contains content, both in the comments and in the graphic nature of many games, that is unsuitable for younger teens.

Parents should know that children streaming live play in YouTube Gaming will see a platform similar to YouTube, with the video streaming at the top of the screen and comments populating below.

It should be shared that many of the comments can be offensive or profane, and bullying and trolling often occur on this platform. In addition to comments, the live video aspect makes it impossible to screen for language.

A particular security aspect of YouTube Gaming is that users’ screen names will be their full Google account names. This means that those users using their real name for their Google accounts will be identified by their full name whenever they interact or chat on the YouTube Gaming platform.

This is fine for adults, as the age requirement for the app is 17+, but can be scary for younger users who disregard the terms of use and jump onto the platform. Parents should take note of this aspect.

In essence, YouTube Gaming is an app that allows mobile access to a dedicated platform for gaming enthusiasts. Instead of scrolling through non-gaming related videos, users can use the YouTube Gaming app to tap right into videos of interest, chat about gameplay, watch live streams of new games or learn how to troubleshoot existing games, and follow their favorite gamers.

The YouTube Gaming interface looks much like the regular YouTube platform, except all avenues lead to gamers and different games.

Because of the live streaming and live chat aspects, parents should monitor their child’s use of the YouTube Gaming app if they are younger than the required age.

Trolling, bullying and profane language can be issues of concern with the app, so parents should be sure to check in with their child regularly about their interactions on the platform.

This app can be safe for teens with parental supervision.