NBC News Investigation into YouTube Use in U.S. Classrooms

An NBC News investigation examines how students use YouTube during the school day, based on YouTube histories from 11 students in grades 2 through 12. The report reviews more than 17,000 videos and looks at school efforts, platform controls, and proposed responses to student viewing.

■ Investigation scope and method
- NBC News asked parents nationwide to download their children's YouTube history
- Histories came from 11 students, ranging from second to 12th grade
- More than 17,000 videos were reviewed using AI and manual review
- Five of 11 students viewed thousands of videos during school hours over one school year

■ Findings on content
- More than 95% of reviewed videos were not educational
- Hundreds contained profanity, sexually suggestive scenes, or references to drugs and alcohol

■ School and platform controls
- Google provides schools ways to limit student access to YouTube, including a specialized player for teacher-shared videos
- The specialized player is available only to schools that pay for special software, and limits can be bypassed through a regular web browser
- New York and Los Angeles school districts have decided to block students from browsing YouTube

■ Proposed solutions and perspectives
- Parents, students, teachers, and child safety advocates suggest removing features such as autoplay and recommended videos
- Some recommend limiting laptop use in the classroom

It is suited for parents, educators, school administrators, and viewers interested in education technology and child safety online. It provides a factual overview of the investigation's scope, its reported findings, and the current debate over managing YouTube access in schools.