How to de-radicalize my mom's youtube algorithm?
How to de-radicalize my mom's youtube algorithm?
She's almost 70, spend all day watching q-anon style of videos (but in Spanish) and every day she's anguished about something new, last week was asking us to start digging a nuclear shelter because Russia was dropped a nuclear bomb over Ukraine. Before that she was begging us to install reinforced doors because the indigenous population were about to invade the cities and kill everyone with poisonous arrows. I have access to her YouTube account and I'm trying to unsubscribe and report the videos, but the reccomended videos keep feeding her more crazy shit.
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What if you started disliking these extremist videos, and explicitly liking more tame videos with the kind of content she would enjoy? This might tell the algorithm to prefer less polarizing videos over time.
The caveat is, I've heard likes/dislikes "don't count" unless you've watched a certain percentage of the video, at least more than a few seconds. So you can't just sit there and speed through clicking dislike on everything.
Another thing you can try is clicking algorithm-suggested videos that seem less radical than the current one. For example, on the home screen, click on something innocuous that's trending. From "related videos," in any video, pick literally anything that's not what she's already watching.
You will probably have to do this for a while, but eventually she might "latch on" to whatever the algorithm starts suggesting. She almost certainly won't stop watching those radical videos entirely - people that age are set in their ways. But maybe you can get her to watch less.
I thought the algorithm responds to downvotes with more of the same content because negativity drives engagement. I very rarely downvote because I don't want YT to know what I don't like. I do however tell it to completely block rage-bait channels. This works for my home feed but not in trending.
Hmmm, good point. To be honest, I'm not sure if anyone knows how the algorithm works, I'm only guessing.
Maybe content creators would know for sure, but I'm not one :p
If you haven't done so yet, I would recommend watching a documentary called "The Social Dilemma" if you are able to find a copy (it's on Netflix).
try is clicking algorithm-suggested videos that seem less radical than the current one
Have never think on this one but makes a lot of sense. Thank you!