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    The nightmare videos of childrens' YouTube — and what's wrong with the internet today | James Bridle

    TED

    1 HN recommender · recommended in 4 months, 2018–2025

    YouTube

    16:33 · 6M views · Jul 13, 2018

    Writer and artist James Bridle shows how strange and disturbing children's videos on YouTube, from surprise eggs to algorithmic mashups, are produced for ad revenue. He argues they reveal problems in a data-driven internet.

    Cited to explain how YouTube's algorithms produce appalling content aimed at children, and as a reason to keep kids off the platform.

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    5 comments from Hacker News

    1. @trueboskoOct 2018· in “ChuChu TV is responsible for widely-viewed toddler content on YouTube”

      Everytime I think of YouTube and kids I think of those bizarre videos featuring Elsa and Spiderman that are oddly disturbing and borderline erotic. This TED talk sums up why I'll never allow my child to go on YouTube. What a mess they've allowed. this video

      RecommendsView on HN
    2. @frabcusAug 2018· in “Google tracks your movements, like it or not”

      Google's a monopoly in multiple areas by any reasonable definition. So yes, I hope they are being entangled in a Cambridge Analytica type scandal. It is the job of the press to do so. Personally, I think the YouTube recommendation algorithm is a huge problem. Once everyone understands it, that will be the relevant scandal. How YouTube's recommendation algorithm makes everyone more extreme, in all directions: [LINK] How YouTube's recommendation algorithm causes creation of appalling content targeted at children: this video It is harming our society in deep and scary ways.

      CriticalView on HN
    3. @lm28469Jul 2025· in “YouTube to be included in Australia's social media ban for children under 16”

      > YouTube is such an invaluable learning resource that I would have serious qualms about denying a school-age child access to it. Give a 5 years old unlimited access to youtube and witness the cesspool it is. Nobody is saying youtube is 100% bad, but people who don't know better (kids for example) are easily manipulated in watching the most brain rot content you can imagine, for hours and hours. It's an ocean of shit within which you might find a few gems if you know what you want or if you get extremely lucky. this video

      CriticalView on HN
    4. @nlstitchOct 2018· in “Twice as long – life expectancy around the world”

      Ouch man; no need to make this personal. Thanks for agreeing with me though. Here you go; 14% increase of confused people (dutch) ; [LINK] Living longer but sick longer; [LINK] [LINK] TED talk about children getting overstimulated by Youtube: this video

      CitesView on HN
    5. @tb303Jun 2019· in ““Apps intended for kids may not include third-party advertising or analytics””

      Yeah, there's youtube kids! [LINK] this video [LINK] 2018 you say? surely they've fixed things by now? nope [LINK] etc. and that's why none of my kids' devices have youtube on them anymore

      CriticalView on HN