The YouTube Science Scam
This mini-BLOG, of sorts, was compiled using the source material from a YouTube video called “YouTube’s Science Scam Crisis,” by a YouTuber, Science and Technology Educator, Kyle Hill, that believes it is important, as do I, to take a stand against Science Spam on YouTube and to ensure that the platform remains a source of quality educational content. This mini-BLOG was compiled using a YouTube video summary AI productivity tool called SOLIDPOINT.ai. I used this tool to demonstrate a few points of emphasis and I did not want to mess up Kyle’s terminology and/or miss the point of his message here. I felt like he worded it very well and there isn’t much I can add to that besides summarizing what he has already said in his video and put my own twist on it.
If anything, this BLOG is to really push this message, along with promoting the man’s channel. This video really struck a chord with me and felt it really needed a push outside of the YouTube platform. The material presented in this mini-BLOG came from the source material, summarized by the AI tool and me, putting in my two cents on the wording. This was not meant to be presented as my own on purpose. The main point of all this was to present the message and not myself.
What is Science Spam on YouTube?
Content created by automated processes that are often misinformed and harmful to the public. These channels often use AI and text-to-speech software to create videos that trick viewers and make money off of autoplay and trick bait.
What is the Problem with Science Spam on YouTube?
The problem is that it misinforms and harms the public by creating content that is often factually incorrect. These channels siphon attention away from better content and lead viewers down trap doors of attention to pits of nonsense.
What is the Problem with YouTube's Science Content?
YouTube has a problem with miss and misleading content created by bots for monetary gain alone. This is especially prevalent on educational channels that pose as high-quality science content. There seems to be a coordinated effort to skim your precious attention using auto-generated clickbait philosophies.
What Can I Do About Science Spam on YouTube?
If you want to take action against these videos and channels on YouTube, you can report the user for spam and scams by logging into your YouTube account, clicking on the about section, and selecting the offending videos to support your report. You can also dislike, unsubscribe, unclick the bell to ensure that you don't receive notifications from these channels and/or block the channel, all in that same about section.
What Videos Should I Report on YouTube?
If you come across videos that are harmful, misinformed, and factually incorrect, you should report them to the YouTube MIB. These videos often contain trick bait, autoplay, and are created with minimal effort using AI and text-to-speech technology.
What Topics Do These Channels Cover?
Usually broad and generally interesting science-related topics like the James Webb Space Telescope, Black Holes, Faster Than Light Space Travel, Technology, Aliens, Ancient Mysteries, Mass Extinctions, and so on.
What is the Uniformity of Content?
Almost every single one detail the same broad and generally interesting science-related topics.
What is the Thumbnail Problem?
These channels publish constantly, some almost every 12 hours. This is a rate that is literally impossible for even the best creators to pull off. This indicates that at least some part of these channels content generation process is automated, cut and paste or both. The thumbnails are so cookie-cutter that you would be forgiven in thinking many of these are just the same video across multiple channels.
What is the Lack of Creativity?
These channels have identified a few topics, words, and images that do numbers and spam them like crazy. They follow the same basic structure and video to video ever show any deviation in the creation/editing process.
What is the Actual Content Like?
The actual content or context of the content is even worse. It seems to be copy and paste text read by robots over stolen footage on a massive scale. These channels take advantage of how YouTube works by more or less automating a process where you can pump out a clickbait video every few hours.
Of the 168+ channels I have been subscribed to on my main account/channel, I went through all my channels looking specifically for science channels that fit this mold. I found a few:
@Coinstatics
@kurzgesagt
@VineMontanaTV (Ridddle)
@TECHSYNERGIST
These channels, with a few being mentioned in the actual video, link provided above as below, and a few others fit this mold. It is sad that Kurzgesagt and Ridddle are like this. As I have been following these channels, liking their videos and commenting for a few years now. I always felt put off by these channels in the back of my head and now I know why. I liked the delivery but the videos for Riddle (all of a sudden) went from 8-15 minutes to 25+ minutes and I no longer have time to invest in their copy/paste approach to making this content. Kurzgesagt spends a good portion of their videos trying to sell products to “keep their channel going.” So these 4 above have been reported, removed and blocked moving forward on my main YouTube account. I will keep @SciencephiletheAI because even though this is sort of AI generated content it is done as a parody by a person or team of people. It is a person or persons with limited editing skills but creative. They created a fake AI persona that is obviously a person, but it is tongue and cheek, with a generic AI speaking voice, all while the info in the video is satisfying, but yet, sarcastic and funny. SciencePhile is an A-hole lol…
To me this is how people should use these tools over it trying to con us all that these polished videos are created for humans by humans. I am not going to support a channel that is made by humans, run/created by AI so this person or persons can make a buck without having to get up, put pants on, sit in traffic and deal with people that do not care whether or not this person is happy or paid appropriately.
To Kyle, thanks for making this. You have my sub and will watch more of your content to get my tidbits of science data from the YouTube machine. I do not have any problems with people using AI productivity tools to increase the quality of their content. I do it now, but at some point within the process let us not forget why we come to this platform for information like this to begin with. People out there trying to be YouTuber’s for pay. I DO NOT REALLY TRUST them, their intentionality and what their goal is with their channel.
END OF LINE…
The YouTube Science Scam
Originally sourced from Kyle
Hill
“YouTube’s Science Scam Crisis,”
SOLIDPOINT.ai.
by David-Angelo Mineo
6/4/2023
1,161 Words
