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Why is youtube recommending conservative "talking points" to me? (lemmy.fmhy.ml)

submitted 1 year ago by V01t45@lemmy.fmhy.ml to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml

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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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[–] EssentialCoffee@midwest.social 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Like others have said, the things you watch are prime interests for right wing in the US. You have to train the algorithm that you don't want it.

[–] GoodEye8@lemm.ee 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

I think the algorithm is so distorted by right-wing engagement that it will end up recommend right-wing content, even if you actively try to avoid it. I watch youtube shorts and I always skip if it's Shapiro, Peterson, Tate or Pierce Morgan. I also skip the moment I feel like the shorts might be right-wing. Scroll enough and eventually the algorithm will go "How about some Shapiro, Peterson, Tate or Morgan?" Give it enough time and it will always try to feed you right-wing content.

[–] EssentialCoffee@midwest.social 1 points 1 year ago

I suppose if you do nothing but scroll YouTube endlessly, it just starts to recommend anything to keep you in the platform.

But I've had an account since they started and even watch The Young Turks and C-Span here and there and almost never get anything political, let alone right wing.

My algorithm is at the point where I get Korean commercials, which is honestly fine with me.

[–] jungekatz@lib.lgbt 1 points 1 year ago

Idk about that tbh , I have an account , and my algo is pretty trained , and there are times I have even told youtube to not suggest me peterson and shapiro stuff ! I moslty watch leftist content ! But i still get ben shapiro reacting to barbie and what not ( I am not even an american)