To think YouTube is a bit disturbing?

[Glinko]

I have two teenage kids who love YouTube and I do watch it myself sometimes. Some if it is fine but I find quite a bit pretty disturbing, especially the content from people who make an income from their videos. I feel that some of the videos I see are of people posting more and more extreme content in order to keep up views and seem to be pandering to their perceived audience giving them what they want even if that something is quite unpalatable. Many share deeply personal information through their videos and My feeling is that many are quite mentally ill but rather than encouraging them to seek help, their "fans" revel in the disturbing behaviour and goad them on.

I know I am not what they call a "digital native" and that the younger generation have a different view on privacy but I do find it very unsettling especially where this sort of negativity is being rewarded financially.

Anyone else noticed this?

[CherryChasingDotMuncher]

YANBU.

Some (Zoella and the like) are basically conning little kids out of money for over priced tat they don't need.

Some are so utterly candid about their problems that I wonder if they're seeking help IRL. I have no idea why so many parents allow their vulnerable children to have YouTube channels. I don't think it's healthy for other kids to laud over this either. It's also a generation of people with zero talent who got lucky making money online and it sets very low expectations for young people.

I thank my lucky stars social media wasn't around when I was a teen

[Glinko]

Yes, it is especially concerning when parents know about this and the children are younger, although there was the story in the bbc recently about parents basically exploiting their kids in YouTube videos which they then made money from when perverts watched.

[StickThatInYourPipe]

I completely agree, my 9 year old cousin has a YouTube channel! I said to my uncle anyone could be watching that!!!

I echo a pp that I am so glad social media wasn’t around too much when I was a teenager, kids don’t understand that once something is online it’s there for ever.

[Justanotherlurker]

Look into Elsa-gate stuff as well if you want to know more about the disturbing stuff that's going on

[TheHungryDonkey]

YABU in that I’ve not seen this stuff on YouTube because we constantly talk about how to avoid in appropriate content online no matter what the material.

One Roblox conversation I watched unfold caused me to discuss about how people can be mentally quite unwell and it’s best to switch to a different server.

I don’t like sweeping statements about YouTube because I think it can be reall valuable. But like TV, Film and the internet you need to teach children to access appropriately.