What Is Twitch?
Twitch is a popular streaming platform also known as Twitch TV. A streaming platform is a site or app where one can watch other people play games, watch videos, or just talk. It has grown in popularity in part thanks to free-to-play games such as Fortnite and popular streamers like Ninja, who have become celebrities thanks to their Twitch streams.
There is a Twitch stream for just about everything. Many of the streams are family-friendly and people play games like Mario Bros., Fortnite, or Call of Duty: Warzone. Depending on who is streaming, the stream may be suitable for kids, but other streamers might use obscenities and talk about content that is not suitable for kids to view..
Because of how popular Twitch is, a lot of children want to be able to log on and view their favorite Twitch streamers play video games or talk about life. Unfortunately, there aren’t any built-in Twitch parental controls parents can utilize their kids safe while on the site.
Twitch’s Terms of Service
In fact, Twitch states in their terms of service that their services are not available to children under 13-years-old. Those who are between the age of 13 and 18 (or the legal age where they live) must have a parent or guardian present while they watch a live stream on the Twitch platform.
Is Twitch OK For Kids To Use?
If a parent knows the terms of service for Twitch but still wants to allow their child to watch a streamer, it would be wise to view various videos before proceeding. On Twitch, users can go back and view previous live streams of a certain streamer. Taking a look at a streamer’s old content will help a parent know if their videos are okay for their kids.
Setting Chat Filters
One tool that parents could use for their kids is setting up live chat restrictions on their child’s account. To do this, tap the child’s username at the top right, click Settings → Settings and Privacy → Scroll to the Privacy section. From here, turn on Block Whispers from Strangers. This will prevent other people who are using the Twitch platform from sending direct messages to your child.
Setting chat filters is extremely important if a child is using Twitch. There are predators all over the web, so it is not safe to assume that every Twitch stream chat is going to be safe. It would be safer to turn this setting on if a child is going to be watching Twitch streams.
Choose What Streams Kids Can Watch
There are plenty of family friendly streamers out there. However, just because someone is playing Fortnite or Mario Kart does not mean that their stream is going to be safe for kids. If a parent wants to let their child watch Twitch streams, it would be wise to choose a few and pre-approve them. Scroll through the different streamers that are listed and watch some of their streams ,and decide which ones you are comfortable with your child watching. You can also search “family-friendly” and look through the results as well.
Twitch Streaming for Kids
While Twitch TV does not have any parental control guidelines, and states in their terms of service that children under the age of 13 are not to use their platform, there are still a lot of kid-friendly streams on the site. Parents will want to proceed with caution, as there are plenty of Twitch streamers who use offensive language or talk about sensitive material. So, it may be a good idea to be present with the child while they are watching Twitch.