YouTube users now have the option to eliminate Shorts from their homepage. This update is part of a revision to the Shorts timer, which grants users control over their time spent browsing through Shorts. The timer now includes a setting to reduce the time limit to zero, effectively removing Shorts from the homepage. This change follows a recent incident in which a US jury fined YouTube after accusations that the platform was intentionally designed to be addictive and harmful to children.
The Shorts time limit was initially introduced in October last year, allowing users to set a personalized daily limit to restrict their Shorts feed browsing time. Previously, the minimum limit was 15 minutes, but now users can set it to zero. Once the set limit is reached, the Shorts tab stops displaying videos and notifies the user that they have hit their “Shorts feed limit.” Additionally, the Shorts tab is removed from the homepage once the limit is reached, which was previously dismissible.
Similar to Instagram and TikTok, both of which offer optional screen time limits, TikTok is the only platform extending this feature to web users. Currently, this feature is not available on YouTube’s web version.
To activate this feature, users can navigate to the settings within the YouTube app, select “Time management,” enable the Shorts feed limit, and set their preferred time limit.
In a separate development, Meta and YouTube were found liable in a lawsuit in Los Angeles, alleging that their platforms were intentionally designed to potentially addict and harm children. The plaintiff sued Meta’s Instagram, ByteDance’s TikTok, and Google’s YouTube, claiming harm from addictive platform features during childhood. TikTok and Snap had settled before the trial.
During the trial, the plaintiff testified that she created Instagram and YouTube accounts at the ages of eight and nine, respectively. She revealed that she began spending most of her time on Instagram. The plaintiff’s lawyer argued that design choices like “infinite scroll” were aimed at keeping users engaged on the platforms.
By introducing time limits and the option to remove the Shorts tab from the homepage, YouTube is empowering users to safeguard themselves if they feel they are spending excessive time on the platform.