The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has been hard on everyone. For young people, in particular, it could have a long-lasting impact on their mental health and well-being. Missing school and exams, not being able to see friends, losing jobs and apprenticeships... Many teenagers and young adults have had their lives turned upside down. 

By April 2020, more than 1.5 billion young people around the world were staying at home as part of lockdowns and the situation has been described by youth organisations as “an eerie world, full of uncertainty”. In a recent UK study, almost half (42%) of 16 to 29-year-olds said the COVID-19 lockdown was having a negative impact on their mental health and, in the US, young people reported being bored (52%), worried (49%) and scared (34%). All this at a time when they would normally be developing their social skills, connecting and socialising with others and building a sense of identity.

“There has been a huge disruption to daily routines,” comments Dr Richard Graham, Consultant Psychiatrist, Clinical Director of Good Thinking and member of the Yubo safety board. “Many of the anchors that support young people’s mental health, like school, friends and exercise, have been removed and this has created a great deal of uncertainty and anxiety.” 

As lockdowns are eased around the world, the concerns don’t go away. Young people continue to be worried about their health (Might I or someone I know get sick?), their education (When will I go back to school/college and how will the disruption to exams affect my grades?), their finances (What if I lose my job or can’t get a job?) and their future (Will I be able to travel, work, socialise and have the kind of life I want?). So, how have members of the Yubo community supported each other in recent months and how has the Yubo team helped?

As Maslow’s hierarchy of needs shows, human beings have social needs, such as acceptance and belonging. With physical distancing in place, many young people have found that online communities are helping them to get through the COVID-19 pandemic. Research shows that connecting with family and friends online and going on social media are popular coping strategies. 

As one Forbes journalist put it, “... in order to socialize, entertain themselves, or even plainly put, kill time, many [teenagers] have turned to their good old friend: their smartphone.” We have certainly seen this at Yubo. In 2020, we have doubled our daily active users and the time our users spend in live streams has increased by more than 350%. 

Digital spaces were already deeply embedded in young people’s lives and are often used to support their health and well-being. Health and technology advisor Susannah Fox notes that many young people go online for peer support on health issues, for example. She describes this as having a “just-in-time-someone-like-you”. COVID-19 has amplified the need for human connection and trusted relationships and, if you can’t get these face-to-face, online is a great alternative.

“Over the last few months, young people seem to have been looking for meaningful interactions on social media rather than just passive scrolling or superficial rewards such as ‘likes’,” says Dr Graham. “Live streams allow you to be yourself and share your thoughts with a small group of friends, rather than posting filtered images for thousands of people to see. They are a less pressured and more authentic way of communicating.”

With screen time increasing, however, so too might some of the risks. As well as being concerned that the online/offline balance might have become skewed, young people and their families might have to deal with fake news, misinformation, online bullying and sexual exploitation. That’s why we continue to support younger members of the Yubo community with safety advice and innovative tools, such as age checks, pop-up alerts and real-time interventions. 

Recognising the potential impact of COVID-19 on our users’ mental health, we recently partnered with NHS-approved digital mental well-being service Good Thinking to raise awareness of support resources available in the UK. To mark Mental Health Awareness Week and help the Yubo community fight anxiety and stress during lockdown, we created this in-App campaign, which has had more than 300 000 views.

“Our focus at Good Thinking is on encouraging good self-care. We offer tips, expert advice and NHS-approved apps to help reduce stress, anxiety and low mood and improve sleep,” explains Dr Graham. “During the COVID-19 pandemic, we have created an advice hub that includes tips to help young people and their families deal with any concerns they have and become more resilient.” 

COVID-19 has emphasised the many benefits of digital technology – for example, an article in The Lancet notes that social media might help to make up for some negative effects of social distancing among young people – but the pandemic has also highlighted there are limitations. Could fake news and unhealthy opinions go unchallenged in online chats? When a live stream comes to an end, might the participants feel lonely? 

As a responsible platform, we need to be aware of the mental health challenges our users might face and help them to deal with them. “The Yubo x Good Thinking video is a great example of how you can nudge your audience to take action,” comments Dr Graham. “It caught Yubo users’ attention while they interacted with the app, reminding them that they should focus on their wellbeing at this difficult time and reassuring them that support is available.” 

The video provided a template for other campaigns on issues that matter to our community, such as Pride Month. With so much uncertainty in young people’s lives right now, our strategy here at Yubo remains the same: protect, support, and educate.

Read Good Thinking’s advice about five ways to good mental well-being and listen to the Good Thinking podcasts about online communities, healthy screen/life balance and how to thrive in our digital present and future.

Useful websites to support your mental health:

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has been hard on everyone. Yubo is committed to supporting its users through this difficult time by sharing several resources to maintain a good mental health.

Maintaining a Good Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Maintaining Good Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Who am I? Where do I fit in? Who do I want to be? We all ask ourselves these questions. During adolescence, young people start to explore, experiment and figure out who they are. Shaped by family, environment, culture, education and other factors, they face complex choices and challenges in their quest for identity and independence.

In recent weeks, the issue of identity has been high on the news agenda. After the tragic death of George Floyd, many people have been speaking out against racism and taking part in the #BlackLivesMatter protests. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has also shone a spotlight on inequalities – for example, UK studies have found significantly higher mortality rates among ethnic minorities.

When research firm Ypulse asked teenagers and young adults in the US ‘What is the biggest problem your generation faces right now?’ The answer was: racism and discrimination. Our own poll of Yubo users in the US (14 June 2020) revealed that 88% feel that Black Americans are treated differently to others. 86% of respondents think that peaceful protests/political demonstrations are necessary to create a significant change and 77% have posted on social media to support equality for Black Americans.

Pride Month, which celebrated LGBTQ+ communities all over the world in June, has also reminded everyone of the importance of equality and tolerance. Here at Yubo, we partnered with three organisations – Switchboard in the UK, The Trevor Project in the US and Le Refuge in France – to support Pride and promote diversity. You can find out more about these partnerships in this video.

“Together, we have worked on a campaign that aims to promote acceptance and affirmation of one’s identity,” explains Natasha Walker, Co-Chair at Switchboard. “Thought-provoking messages such as ‘Am I the only one who feels like this?’, ‘I feel trapped in my body’ and ‘If this is who I am, why do I feel ashamed?’ were sent to Yubo’s teenage users in the UK, in a bid to encourage those who are struggling with their gender identity and sexuality to telephone the helpline for support.”

Yubo partners with LGBT+ helplines for Pride Month

The digital world has become a fundamental part of young people’s identity over the last decade – a space in which they can discover who they are and grow as a person. Indeed, more than a third (38%) of respondents to a survey by the UK Safer Internet Centre (UKSIC) said they find it easier to be themselves online.

As psychologist Dr Linda Papadopoulos notes in this video, young people increasingly “crowdsource” their identity online. “Social media, as well as being a way of communicating and connecting, is also a way of gauging what people think about you,” she says. “So, a lot of times, posts are about seeing how accepted you are, how valued you are, where you fit in. Your behaviour online begins to be shaped by the responses that you get.”

Of course, you might get a really positive response. As this article in Pink News shows, Yubo can offer a vital support system. 18-year-old Thee Amir live-streams make-up tutorials on the app and describes joining our community as “life-changing” because of the support he has received from other LGBTQ+ young people.

With almost 30 million users, we have a responsibility to help younger members of the Yubo community to develop a positive identity. The recent UKSIC survey found that a quarter (25%) of 13 to 17-year-olds had been bullied or attacked online because of their sexuality, race, religion, disability or gender identity. We have zero tolerance for bullying and discrimination – we provide industry-leading safety tools and take action against reports of racism, homophobia and other online hate on our platform.

As the BLM protests continue and Pride Month comes to a close, we’re more determined than ever to make Yubo a positive, diverse and compassionate community. That includes supporting young people as they develop their identity and increase their self-esteem. As the famous quote goes, “Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken”.

Yubo’s tips for promoting positive identity online

Be proud of who you are – don’t pretend to be something you’re not or filter out any aspects of your life. 

Be kind to others – nasty comments can be extremely hurtful and might even be illegal so always think before you post. 

Be vigilant – if you or someone else experiences discrimination or harassment on Yubo, report it to us immediately so we can take action.

Who am I? Where do I fit in? Who do I want to be? We all ask ourselves these questions. During adolescence, young people start to explore, experiment and figure out who they are. Yubo gives them a voice and a safe environment to discover themselves and the world.

Let’s talk identity

Let’s Talk Identity

How we’re empowering young people to value and protect their personal information on Yubo

For many years, children and teenagers have been told to ‘think before you post. But, in a world where our online and offline lives are more blurred than ever and we’re all a lot more relaxed about sharing our personal information, is this still a realistic message?

“It’s more important than ever to be careful about what you share in your digital spaces,” says Annie Mullins OBE, who advises us on safety issues at Yubo. “It can be very easy to get caught up in a conversation with someone on social media and think it’s OK to tell them where you live, where you go to college, your phone number or your email address.” 

“Our advice for young people is to put the brakes on and take a moment before sharing this kind of personal information with someone you’ve only chatted to a few times online,” she adds. “It’s often best to err on the side of caution and keep certain personal details to yourself.”

Here at Yubo, we’re committed to helping our users have the best possible experience on the app. That’s why we’ve started asking young people if they are sure they want to share their personal details. We’ve recently introduced a feature in private chat that triggers a pop-up when someone types in a phrase such as ‘I live in London’ and then gives them the opportunity to change their mind about posting it.

Of course, many young people are aware that their data is valuable but, when they feel like they’re talking to someone they trust, they sometimes forget that it could be misused. Even broad information, such as the name of your city or town, could be used to find out your address, places you hang out and who your friends and family are. If you have public profiles on lots of social networks, your digital footprint could provide strangers with valuable information that could be used to coerce you into doing something you don’t want to do.

Still in the early stages, our new pop-up feature is already showing great results: we send around 20,000 pop-ups every day and 12% of our users who see these alerts decide not to send their personal information. The tool uses an algorithm to further enhance our portfolio of innovative safety tools. For example, we also use AI to conduct age checks and we intervene in real-time during live streams when we think someone could be putting themselves or others in danger.

“We try to strike the right balance between encouraging participation and providing protection for the many young people in our community,” says our COO Marc-Antoine Durand. “This new pop-up is a great example of how we help teens to make smart choices. This is about encouraging them to be more cautious and to take control of their digital footprint.”

As we enter the new decade, we’re seeing a greater focus across industry on putting safety at the heart of app and website development and empowering users to better manage their online experience. Australia’s eSafety Commissioner has recently introduced a ‘Safety by Design’ initiative, for example. With more than 25 million members all over the world, we will continue to focus on making Yubo a safe space for young people to make new friends – in 2020 and beyond.

Visit the Yubo Safety Center for more information and advice.

Here at Yubo, we’re committed to helping our users have the best possible experience on the app. That’s why we’ve started asking young people if they are sure they want to share their personal details. Yubo's recently introduced a feature in private chat that triggers a pop-up when someone types in a phrase such as ‘I live in London’ and then gives them the opportunity to change their mind about posting it.

Think Before You Send

Real-time intervention on social video: Yubo takes the lead to reduce risks to young people

Here at Yubo, we’re always looking for ways to innovate in online safety. In our previous blog, we explained how we take our responsibility to younger Yubo users very seriously. Since then, we’ve continued working with online safety expert Annie Mullins OBE to put a number of safeguards in place on the app and we’ve recently taken an important step forward by introducing real-time intervention in live streams.

Using a combination of algorithms and human moderators, we monitor activity on Yubo so we can identify users who violate our community guidelines and who could put themselves or others in danger while live streaming. We then take immediate action, sending a message to the user explaining how they have crossed the line, how to change their behavior and what action we’ll take if they don’t comply. Our options include temporarily disabling the live stream and suspending their account.

Yubo is the only social video app to intervene in this way to help keep teens safer. Yes, it’s a bold move. Yes, some young people are surprised when they receive a warning message from us. But we believe the most important thing is to support and protect our users and make the Yubo community an even better place to be.

In this blog, we take a closer look at live intervention and explore how it promotes behavioral change by encouraging Yubo users to stay safer and be more responsible as well as helping to reduce the risk of sexual exploitation and other issues. We also talk to one of our most experienced moderators and find out how our teenage users respond to his messages about inappropriate behavior or unsuitable content they have posted.

“We know there’s more that social networks can do and some sites like Yubo already have good practice on live streaming.” Andy Burrows, Associate Head of Child Safety Online, NSPCC (2018)

Just as teenagers might experiment and test boundaries in real life, the same happens in the digital world. Online, young people might have already seen inappropriate behavior or content and aren’t always sure what’s acceptable. Whether it’s filming themselves in their underwear or making nasty comments about someone, it’s important that they understand and reflect upon the consequences their behavior could have for them and others. Furthermore, as a company, we must be able to take action when we see inappropriate or illegal behavior and content within live streams on Yubo (which we call Lives).

Our community guidelines are essential in setting standards for user behavior — our users have to agree to abide by them and we always refer to them when intervening in live streams. We make it very clear in these guidelines that we have zero tolerance for nudity and posing in underwear in Lives, for example.

If these guidelines aren’t followed, it’s our policy to engage and educate our younger users rather than punish them. That means using opportunities when rules have been broken to help them understand and think about what they have done wrong and nudge them to change their behavior in that moment and in the future. We’re already seeing the positive impact of real-time in-app warnings and our approach has been welcomed by law enforcement, charities and other online safety advocates.

As our online safety advisor Annie Mullins OBE says,

“I’ve worked with Yubo putting live interventions in place to help prevent its users from putting themselves at risk. This is an important step change in the child online safety arena and one that other social media companies should consider following. The more real-time interventions with young people that take place, the more we’ll be able to support and educate them. Young people make mistakes — that’s part of growing up — but it’s important that social media providers offer safety nets for them and nudge them in the right direction when their behavior could put them at risk.”

Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist Dr Richard Graham adds,

“The future of the digital world now rests upon how willing we are to use behavioral insights to stop the bad from spoiling the good. Yubo is leading the way with live intervention, and there is no better way to learn than in the moment.”

Our global team of moderators deal with a variety of situations in live streams, including young people posing in their underwear, taking their clothes off, harassing other users and threatening to self-harm.

We asked one of our moderators, Tom*, to explain why it’s so important to intervene in Lives.

“The content is being broadcast live online so it makes sense that we intervene immediately before any damage is done. The faster we get involved, the better,” he says.

Despite receiving a popup about our community guidelines when they enter live streams on Yubo and knowing that Lives can be seen by anyone (not just their friends), some users still choose to push the limits.

So, why do young people behave this way online? There are a number of motivations — some do it to show off or flirt, others because they see their idols and other celebrities acting a certain way or because someone is encouraging them or putting them under pressure to do it.

“It’s often about getting attention, which they might not get in real life,” comments Tom. “Going live is a good way of reaching lots of people and getting lots of views. The guys who go shirtless want to show off their muscles, for example.”

The potential risks of live streaming include being bullied, being coerced into sexually explicit activity and being contacted by strangers with ill intent.

Tom explains how younger users often become so immersed in the app, they don’t think about what they are doing.

“People often get caught up with being ‘in the moment’ and don’t understand the immediate risks or that the content might not go away after the Live. If they video themselves in their underwear, someone could capture that, publish it somewhere else and use it against them,” he points out.

If a Yubo moderator sees something happening that violates our community guidelines and could put someone at risk, they send a warning message to the user. The message might say that the Live will be shut down in one minute or it might warn the user that they will be suspended from the app if they don’t change their behavior.

We’re the only social video app to do this as we think it’s important that our younger users understand what the problem is and that we encourage them to change what they’re doing. After all, the best way to learn is in the moment and through real-life experience.

We then take the appropriate action, which might include removing the content, suspending or closing down the user’s account and reporting potentially illegal activity to the police and other authorities, such as the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF). It’s our aim to help users change their behavior before it gets to that point but, in the end, we’ll do what is right for them and other users.

“Sadly, one of the things we come across is young people who are self-harming or suicidal,” says Tom. “Even if the people watching the Live try to help, they aren’t trained professionals and could unintentionally make the situation worse. Seeing someone talking about self-harming could also trigger similar feelings in other users.”

We don’t allow self-harm content to remain on Yubo and we explain to our younger users why this is the case. Live intervention means we can help someone in that crucial moment and direct them to support organisations.

“I will venture to say that… this app is shaping up to be a leader in live-streamed video safety.”Anne Collier, NetFamilyNews (August 2017)

On the whole, Yubo users respond positively to real-time intervention. They aren’t used to other apps communicating in this way but they generally receive the notifications well and comply with our requests. If someone receives a warning as they are getting undressed on camera, for example, they usually stop as soon as they see the message and put their clothes back on.

Tom notes that users often thank him for intervening as it means they don’t have to deal with a difficult situation themselves. If they are feeling under pressure to behave a certain way online, it’s good that they know we’re there to keep an eye on things and help them to manage those expectations.

Many of our younger users tell their friends about our rules and how the Yubo moderators are there to help — a clear sign that although young people like to be independent, they still need support. Indeed, educating one teenager can have a powerful network effect. We’ve received lots of positive comments about live intervention from our younger users, including “I think it’s useful, just keeps the community safer and cleaner I guess” and “It’s a really good idea, it gives people a chance to change their behavior and if not then they face the consequences.”

With research by Childnet revealing that more than one in 10 eight to 17-year-olds have ‘gone live’, live streaming is here to stay. We believe real-time intervention is a vital tool in helping young people have a safer experience on social video apps.

In Anne Collier’s words, it’s important to build a digital community of “guided practice” — one where young people can be confident, happy, respectful and safe. With our vision to be a leader in online safety, we’ll continue to develop innovative safety features for Yubo so we can do exactly that.

“I applaud Yubo for extensively reworking its safety features to make its platform safer for teens.” Julie Inman Grant, Australian eSafety Commissioner (March 2018)

Yubo has a minimum age limit of 13 and users must provide their real details, including their mobile number. We use technology and moderators to identify underage profiles and block them.

Yubo users can set their own preferences, including whether to show their location and deciding who they talk to.

Every user must agree to abide by our community guidelines, which include rules about bullying, nudity, fake profiles and other inappropriate or illegal behavior.

We use innovative technology and human moderators to check what’s happening on Yubo and take action if we see our rules being broken.

It’s easy to report any problems or concerns to us, via the flag icon in the app or on our Safety Centre. We aim to respond to reports within 24 hours and prioritize emergencies.

Here at Yubo, we’re always looking for ways to innovate in online safety. Yubo has recently taken an important step forward by introducing real-time intervention in live streams. Using a combination of algorithms and human moderators, we monitor activity on Yubo so we can identify users who violate our community guidelines and who could put themselves or others in danger while live streaming.

Real-time intervention on social video

Real-Time Intervention on Social Video

Yubo collaborates with Childnet for Safer Internet Day 2024 with a user poll on Emerging Technologies and Online Safety

Yubo recognizes the role social media platforms play in fostering a healthier and more inclusive online experience for Gen Z. That’s why Yubo puts safety at the core of every decision made for the platform and has come to be recognized by experts as an industry leader in online safety innovation. 

We work with leading nonprofit organizations around the world for their expertise and support in policy and technology so Yubo can be proactive about its approach to online safety.

To mark Safer Internet Day 2024, Yubo supported the UK Safer Internet Centre by joining the organizations in efforts to to poll young people in the UK about their perspectives on online platforms, emerging technologies, and how changes are impacting their experiences. Polling efforts were inspired by the theme of this year’s Safer Internet Day, which centers around changing digital landscapes, including young people using the internet for positive impact; changes young people want to see online; and the factors that could influence how young people think, feel, and act online. 

“Safety is an essential component of making digital platforms engaging, which is just one of the reasons Yubo makes online safety innovation our top priority. The input we receive from users, combined with the expertise and support of organizations like Childnet, are invaluable to our ongoing development and improvement” said Yubo CEO Sacha Lazimi. 

Yubo polled users in the UK between 13 and 24 years old. These were the results of Yubo-Childnet Safer Internet Day 2024 in-app poll.

These were the results of Yubo-Childnet Safer Internet Day 2024 in-app poll

Yubo’s partnership with Childnet to promote the goals of Safer Internet Day 2024 follows the platform’s recent U.S. launch of the Yubo-AFNOR Spec reference document, a policy toolbox with operational recommendations for enhancing online safeguards to better protect young people. 

“It’s the responsibility of digital platforms today to adapt and evolve their safety infrastructure according to new technologies and new potential safety risks, but industry is just one segment of the online safety puzzle,” Lazimi said. “Collaborating with organizations like Childnet for the second consecutive Safer Internet Day, and engaging stakeholders across industry, government, and nonprofit for the AFNOR policy initiative reflect how Yubo lives up to our commitment of continually improving the online community we’ve built for millions of young adults and teens around the world.”

Discover more about the AFNOR policy initiative in this Youtube video: 

Yubo's Take

Here for all of it.

Maintaining Good Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Let’s Talk Identity

Think Before You Send

Real-Time Intervention on Social Video

Safer Internet Day 2024