One minute you are looking at Dr Phil’s video of the ‘Catch me outside, how about that’ girl, and before you know it, you are drawn to the tragedy of the Watts Family Murders, marvelling at how dumb can Chris Watts be! Some people may think it’s destiny, but there are others who know – it’s Youtube algorithm. Youtube wants you to keep clicking on the videos on the site, on the app, everywhere. And Youtube knows edgy and controversial content can make you do that. And that’s how you eventually succumb to irrelevant Youtube recommendations – that vice of the digital world that feeds off your brain.
But, can you escape from Youtube’s toxic suggestions and save yourself from becoming dumber? To understand the answer, let’s delve deep into the dynamics of the platform.
Youtube isn’t that evil
Now come on, where do you go if you want to cook a perfect omelette. You know where to head to for cute cat videos. And you know where you will find the best way to repair your broken electronic appliances.
So, here’s the thing – Youtube isn’t that evil. When you search for amazing dinner recipes, it shows you amazing results for the same. For instance, if you are looking for a recipe for Mac n Cheese Pasta, the platform will come up with brilliant videos with loads of views, likes, subscribers and comments.
But it’s only when you scroll down the recommended or ‘Up Next’ section that you will see videos about making pasta with a twist, or how to make creamy pasta in three easy steps, or three-way pasta recipe. Things only get stranger further – when you are recommended video suggestions for ‘How to make vegan pasta’ (because you never showed an inclination for veganism in life!).
Blame it on Youtube’s skewed algorithm. The way it seeks to veer our attention from what we seek to what we do not seek is despicable! While Youtube continues to struggle with content moderation, irrelevant Youtube recommendations continue to dominate and ruin our visual experience on the platform.
Why bad Youtube algorithm allows a pop-up of toxic suggestions
Project AlgoTransperancy’s founder Guillaume Chaslot, and a former Youtube algorithm developer claims that bad Youtube algorithms pose a real threat to the intelligence and inclination of Youtube users. According to Chaslot, Youtube doesn’t recommend video suggestions based on what the viewers ‘want to see’. Rather, the recommendations are made based on what the users are most likely to disagree with, so that they click on them to be entertained at just how ridiculous the opposing views sound. Remember, with Youtube, it’s just about keeping the users coming back, no matter what.
Youtube’s toxic suggestions are designed to make you waste time, to encourage you get addicted to the platform, and to probably influence your current views or ideologies.
With Mark Zuckerberg finally accepting that borderline content on the internet is more likely to generate more user engagement, irrelevant Youtube recommendations might not seem irrelevant anymore (especially to Youtube’s genius programmers!). After all, no one can resist a conspiracy theory video about 9/11, right?
You think toxic suggestions, youtubers think terrific revenue
While you may have every reason to criticize and shun toxic suggestions from Youtube, there is a group of people who benefit when you ultimately click on the same and view the videos – the Youtube content creators.
If you are a youtuber, create outlandish content, make controversial videos, and talk about things that are borderline crazy and ridiculous, but not forbidden by Youtube’s policies. The more user engagement you drive in, the more it will be recommended, and the more revenue you receive!
Let’s take the 9/11 example. You know when, as a Youtube user, have fallen down the rabbit hole of irrelevant Youtube recommendations if you were simply looking at 9/11 documentary for your essay assignment and within an hour, you are watching 9/11 conspiracy videos that claim that 9/11 was a fake event!
But for the one who created and posted these edgy videos, your clicking on it and watching it till the end is ultimately a profitable thing.
How to get rid of irrelevant Youtube recommendations
While Youtube still doesn’t have the feature for disabling recommendations, you can still take the road less taken and ensure that irrelevant Youtube suggestions do not bother you or your intelligence anymore.
Delete your Youtube profile’s search history
Make Youtube’s algorithm go blind by deleting your Youtube profile’s search history! To do so, following the steps given below:
- Go to the top bar and click on your username
- Click on ‘Your Data in Youtube’ from the drop-down menu
- Click on ‘Manage Your Youtube Search History’
- Click on ‘All Time’ once you select the Delete by Date from the drop-down list
- Finally, select ‘Delete’
Delete your Youtube profile’s watch history
Youtube keeps an eye on all that you watch. Don’t believe us? Go check your watch history. It’s devoid of date cap – so if you started watching Youtube in 2010, all the videos, every single one of them, will be registered in your watch history till date!
Deleting your Youtube profile’s watch history is another great way to get rid of bad Youtube algorithm. Here’s how to do it:
- Go to the top bar and click on your username
- Click on ‘Your Data in Youtube’ from the drop-down menu
- Click on ‘Manage Your Youtube Watch History’
- Click on ‘All Time’ once you select the Delete by Date from the drop-down list
- Finally, select ‘Delete’
It’s essentially the same thing as deleting the search history, but deleting the watch history is one of the best ways to escape irrelevant Youtube recommendations.
Most of the times, taking these two simple will reset your Youtube recommendations and you will longer be bothered by Youtube’s toxic suggestions. But sometimes, nothing changes. Fortunately, there are other external ways to tackle this issue.
Get browser extensions to remove irrelevant Youtube recommendations
Thank God for Google Chrome, Firefox and Opera browser extensions, which allow you to do away with toxic suggestions and recommendations from Youtube – and even a bad Youtube algorithm can’t do anything about it!
Remove Youtube Recommended Videos is a Google Chrome extension that can help you block Youtube recommendations.
All you have to do is install the extension for free. Once you install the extension, you can do unbelievable things to your Youtube profile – like getting rid of ‘Recommendations’ sidebar, doing away with the ‘Up Next’ section, hide the comments on any Youtube video, bid adieu to the video suggestion wall!
Firefox has an open-source extension called Remove Youtube Suggestions. Once installed, this extension allows you to hide the ‘Recommendations’ sidebar, or the ‘Suggested Videos’ section, along with the ‘Comment’ section. Moreover, this extension also allows you to retain Youtube features in case you wish to do so!
Improved Tube is another extension by Opera that offers similar features as Remove Youtube Suggestions offers.
But the best extension that you can install for the Youtube problem is Options. This one is compatible with Chrome, Firefox, Safari as well as Opera. Not only does Options allows you to hide several Youtube features as and when you wish, but also offers an insane amount of control over using the digital platform for your entertainment.
Although Options come with a price tag (you have to pay $1.99 per month as a subscription fee), the features this extension offers is worth every dollar!
Do you still need Youtube recommendations?
Okay, all of the above mentioned steps can help block Youtube recommendations, but maybe you’re thinking – “I hate toxic suggestions from Youtube. But I love some good recommendations as well!” In that case, hiding your Youtube recommendations and suggestions is perhaps not a good idea.
Does that mean that you are eternally cursed to find irrelevant Youtube recommendations because of bad Youtube algorithm?
No!
You can train Youtube to recommend better videos.
Here’s how.
Take advantage of the three dot icon
Next to the irrelevant Youtube video’s title, there are three small dots. They hold great power. So, click on them, and select ‘Not Interested’. Tell Youtube why this video doesn’t interest you. Voila! You will never ever see that video again!
Stop the channel’s recommendations
The three dot icon is a miraculous one indeed! Just click on the icon, select ‘Don’t recommend channel’. Youtube will take note of it and you will never receive recommended videos from the same channel again!
Apart from this, you can also analyse why Youtube’s algorithm recommended a particular video to you. Maybe the viewers of the Youtube channel you follow ardently view videos from this particular channel as well. Or maybe viewers with similar interest as yours were equally interested in this particular channel or video. It could be anything – but the main point is, if you know why you are being recommended something on Youtube, you remain in control of the actions needed to be taken regarding the same!
Youtube is a great place, with a massive library of video content. Don’t let bad Youtube algorithm ruin your viewing experience. Take the above-mentioned steps and stay away from the rabbit hole of irrelevant Youtube recommendations.