this post was submitted on 10 Jul 2023
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Hi, I am a guy in early thirties with a wife and two kids and whenever I go on youtube it always suggests conservative things like guys dunking on women, ben shapiro reacting to some bullshit, joe rogan, all the works. I almost never allow it to go to that type of video and when I do it is either by accident or by curiosity. My interest are gaming, standup comedy, memes, react videos, metalurgy, machining, blacksmithing, with occasional songs and videos about funny bullshit and I am not from america and I consider myself pretty liberal if I had to put it into terms used in america. But european liberal, so by american standards a socialist. Why does it recommend this shit to me, is this some kind of vector for radicalization of guys in my category? Do you have similar experience?

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[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 year ago

If you watch any kind of gaming videos, and haven't trained your algorithm, then you'll get flooded with this shit

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago

you are a closet conservative. the algoritham has spoken.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

A few years ago I downloaded a browser extension to stop showing me recommended videos, both on the homepage and on the side of videos. I can only watch what I'm subscribed to and what I search for - you'd think its a big sacrifice because you can't discover as many videos, but in reality I've gained so much more of my time back and control over what I actually want to watch.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago (1 children)

metalurgy, machining, blacksmithing

That could be it. I don't know YouTube's algorithm, but typically they work by finding what other users watch the videos you watch and recommending you other videos those people also watched. I wouldn't be surprised if the guys watching blacksmithing videos also tend to watch Joe Rogan and the like.

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago
[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I almost never allow it

The times you do allow it are all the algorithm cares about, sadly. Any kind of engagement is great for companies.

"Hate Rogan? Cool, watch some Rogan as hateporn, hate watching is still watching."

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago

The algorithm is clever enough to know that people that watch a few of those videos are likely to watch a whole lot more. So it’s good business to recommend them as often as possible. If they CAN convince you to dive into that, the stats are that you will start to watch a ton more YouTube content.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago

Hi, I am a guy in early thirties with a wife and two kids and whenever I go on youtube it always suggests conservative things like guys dunking on women

Yeah it really wants me to watch Tim pool. Its like cmon guys I'm too old for that guys tastes. Tiktok will atleast take the hint

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago

I think such content gets most engagement. Dunking on leftist ideas brings right wingers celebrating and parroting the piece while pissed left wingers trying to explain why the argument doesn't make sense.

[–] maniajack 6 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I'll see major swings in the algorithm from time to time (a week of bass guitar video recommendations for some reason), but I can usually trace back a video or two that I watched that it just decided to try and cram the topic down my throat. I would just say make sure you keep avoiding the conservative vids to try and get the recommendations to stop. I wonder if maybe one of your kids is watching videos on your account and skewing it?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

(a week of bass guitar video recommendations for some reason)

Sometimes I wish youtube's algorithm were sentient so I could shake it and ask why the fuck--

For me it was a week of growing your own backyard basil. Not herb gardens, not vegetables, not self-sufficiency in general. Literally just basil. I don't even own a single plant.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

It can also be linked based where it recommends videos that conservatives have enjoyed that seem unrelated. Like maybe watching home improvement videos and historical war videos then the algorithm feeding new content that seems unrelated but actually is according to it, since it's trying to expose you to new interests to expand the time you spend there.

Best I found is just not using YouTube with an account and having cookies cleared on exit, or using newpipe (Android) and freetube (desktop) which let's you have an accountless subscription feed with Adblock and sponsorblock support.

[–] kava 5 points 1 year ago

I get right wing stuff only on YouTube shorts typically. And I think it's because I'll watch them. I find it interesting in a detached sense.

Good to know what you're up against. Same reason I try and watch as many Trump speeches as I reasonably can.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

You can view what Google "knows" about you on your account settings. I made my account when I was very young, I lied about my age and my gender, then it made assumptions based on my interests of my professional situation. I guess many people in my gender and age group, sharing my actual interests (tech, movies, culture, food) are also interested in the kind of content you described (Joe Rogan, Jordan Peterson, Yiannopolous, etc). I keep clicking "not interested", but the algorithm keep suggesting these videos to me. I don't mind that Google doesn't know my politics. I'm a feminist, but there's really not a lot of interesting discourse about feminism on Youtube, so I just read and attend real life lectures instead.

[–] Atrabiliousaurus 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

machining

No idea about your algorithm problems but have you seen the Cutting Edge Engineering Australia channel? It's so good.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Here is an alternative Piped link(s): https://piped.video/zvKG5dgUHNw

Piped is a privacy-respecting open-source alternative frontend to YouTube.

I'm open-source, check me out at GitHub.

[–] spacedancer 5 points 1 year ago

Piped

Cool, I didn't know about this. Good bot.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

Because controversy makes money and conservatism is filled with controversial opinions and purposely obtuse takes intended to spark conversation and promote divisiveness. That’s the grift.

[–] Hikermick 4 points 1 year ago

"The calls are coming from inside the house"~~__****

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