Worried for my kids.

[WickedSeth]

Hello, in the past year or so, I have noticed that youtube stopped recommending me random content and that content has become very watched history related, and very rarely for example recommending random videos from the subscriptions playlists.



Now I was looking at a definition for stalking in the American Journal of Psychiatry and I have noticed very worrying similarities in Youtube`s recommendation algorithm.

Although I know it`s supposed to be marketing, there`s a point where you tell the lady " back off! "

This is serious because my kids can not only grow psychotic due to being offered content unrelated to what a kid or adolescent should watch but also, due to the fact that the recommendation is being changed aggressively, this is showing the exact behavior of an Incompetent stalker that know the victim is disinterested but forge ahead in hopes that their behavior will lead to a relationship. EG between the viewer and YOUTUBE.

I clicked on not interested many times but the algorithm cannot tell the difference between one tv show to another, e.g If you don`t like CSI MIAMI, Youtube won`t recommend that show, but because you watch tv shows it will continue to show tv shows.... even though you or your child do not want to be recommended tv shows anymore, but are interested in IDK .... kids change quickly ...

The only way to change the recommendations was to clear my watch history not my regular cleaning of the browser that has only been published at my request in 2021.


Does anybody have any thoughts on how I should approach this? I don`t wanna SUE youtube as they have an army of lawyers, but I bet psychiatrists did not have a say about youtube recommendations.

My ads being personalized is one thing, but to "forge ahead in hopes that their behavior will lead to a relationship " is totally different.

[Snaga]

Hello, and welcome!

This has been move to Parenting with a shadow link in a busier forum that is our miscellaneous forum, as it seems to straddle categories a little.

As for the children, all I can say is perhaps use parental control apps- if they're too old to actually be restricted to YouTube for kids, then I'm not sure, unless a parent controls their internet access.

And... Google is going to recommend things, it seems, whether we want it to, or not- they didn't get rich, by not watching us closely. I reckon it's up to us, to use their services, or not. When a product is free, it's often because we're the product, yes?

[WickedSeth]

I don't mind that we get personalised ads, but youtube recomended is based on watch hystory and there is no parental app that can change youtube's algorithm and since when are strangers allowed to promote their product to children directly or since when are my kids the a product.
They programmed the algorithm to do exatcly what an incomptent and abusive stalker would do. IDK, I was thinking maybe the psychiatric community would have something to say.

[Snaga]

Well, YouTube is going to reserve the right to do what they wish, when a person uses their services- I mean, there is a YouTube for children app, but I'm sure that's for fairly young children.

I was thinking maybe the psychiatric community would have something to say.

If by that, you mean mental health professionals, then this wouldn't be the venue you're looking for. Psych Forums is a peer-support forum. While there are members in the mental health profession, they're mostly here because of their own mental health issues. There's not much in the way of discussion between professionals, here; and presenting oneself as a health professional, in order to hand out advice as a health professional, is strictly prohibited, so we don't attract a large number of them.

[WickedSeth]

Thank you for clearing things out. I will make sure to clear the watch history myself for my child in order to not be abused and stalked premeditated but without mal intent on the largest media hosting server in the world.

[Snaga]

I have no love for Google; but it is what it is. I do often watch other things- like Pluto TV, Bitchute, videos on archive dot org, etc.

[Muttonchop]

We have one daughter who is now 30 and we did the best we could do for her. She turned out pretty good and lives with her boyfriend. We learned that you and your kids can't live in a protective bubble and you just have to try to do the best you can and that is all you can do. We all worry, even when our kids get older. I remember one time my father (may he rest in peace) told me he used to look at me and remember when I was young and then said boy did time fly. We also just have to hope for the best and I believe luck also plays a roll in how things turn out.

[CammieMe]

I understand that Youtube can really be scary right now. I'm not sure if you are aware of the Youtube kids app where you are able to filter videos. They do not show videos that are not for kids.