What is "The YouTube Effect?"

Brut America

“The YouTube effect will hit you in some way.”  This filmmaker investigated the dark side of YouTube ... Here’s what he found out. #Tribeca2022

Transcript

00:0070% of the videos you've watched on YouTube are because of the recommendation algorithm.

00:04Has anyone else noticed how much YouTube profits off of and incentivizes extremist content?

00:18Before you log on to YouTube, here's what you should know.

00:21What is an algorithm?

00:51The tendency for the recommendation algorithm to slowly radicalize you and whatever it is you're searching for.

00:57For example, when I searched vegetarian, the recommendation algorithm started to show me content about veganism.

01:03These recommendations become incredibly consequential when it comes to topics like politics, religion, science, medicine.

01:08We're at a point in history where we have to stop talking about the algorithm only

01:12and the fact that human nature is driving these issues, human nature keeps us on these platforms.

01:21I would say that the biggest concern about a platform specifically like YouTube is the parasocial component.

01:28If you're on YouTube, just like I'm talking to you right now, it feels like we're buddies, right?

01:32Like I'm just staring into this lens on this iPhone and you're just looking at me.

01:35It's like we've been friends our whole lives.

01:36Well, I don't know you at all, right?

01:38And you don't really know me either.

01:40If you're getting far-right disinformation and hate speech and pro-gun violence

01:46and it's being brought to you by some guy in their living room in a very friendly manner,

01:51just like I'm talking to you in a very friendly manner, that's extremely powerful.

01:54And this all happens with absolutely zero accountability from YouTube, regardless of how hateful they are.

02:00What's going on right now in terms of the rise in gun violence and its relationship to YouTube specifically

02:05is that YouTube is a very easy place to be radicalized.

02:09The Christchurch shooter absolutely singly named YouTube as his primary source of radicalization.

02:14So at this point, we really need to be saying,

02:17What do we do to solve some of these issues and not try to kind of brush them away and blame other people?

02:26A lot of people, young people especially, went to YouTube and other social media platforms

02:31for their news, full stop.

02:33Now, still the only information they're getting about news at all.

02:37The idea of citizen journalism is interesting

02:39because it largely has grown out of the age of the internet

02:42where everyone has a voice and everyone has the ability to distribute that voice

02:47and that voice can catch fire.

02:48So that immediately tells you why that's dangerous

02:50because if that information is incorrect or knowingly incorrect or propaganda,

02:54then you have an extremely distorted view of what's going on in the world.

02:57I'm a little Pollyannish about the future

02:59because while I think the future is going to be bumpy, the immediate future,

03:02there's truth and there's untruth.

03:03And you can sort of start there and work your way towards the middle.

03:06And when citizen journalism and activism does that,

03:10it's very powerful in a positive way.

03:17So now what, right?

03:19Everybody's freaked out and with good reason.

03:22Things are dark at the moment and there's a lot of amazing things going on.

03:26The YouTube effect will hit you in some way

03:30and you don't have control, total control over that effect

03:34and you should know that when you enter into a relationship with YouTube.

Category

Transcript

Recommended