This is a decent point. YouTube is cancer if you don't police your algorithm. If you do (ie: vote on vids, use the "Not Interested" and "Don't recommend channel" options) you get a very clean and personalized feed.

You'll know when YouTube makes changes to their algorithm as you'll suddenly get some unwanted stuff. For example, when any football videos show up in my feed I know YT is making changes so I flag the unwanted stuff when it comes up and within a few flaggings its back to normal.

If you open my YouTube home page its nothing but metal bands, production vids, guitar and drum vids as well as video games, racing, sim racing, science and some other long form content. Its hyper specific to my interests.

I helped pull my buddy out of a bit of a ragebait spiral during covid just by showing him my feed and comparing it to his. He never fathomed the depths that YT would drag him to if he didn't curate his algorithm.

The algorithm can be cancer if you engage with cancer. If you pick your content like you pick your fruits at the grocery store you'll have a much better time.

[–] surewhynotlem@lemmy.world 6 points 5 months ago

He never fathomed the depths that YT would drag him to if he didn't curate his algorithm.

100% this. The algorithms are designed to give you what keeps your attention. You need to be careful about what you give attention to.