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YouTube clickbait is out of contrule

I'm sure these freak events really happened, but it seems irresponsib(ru)le to make people feel like this might happen to them, just for views

Update: I have hidden channel names in the interest of letting people know this is criticizing the tr(ul)end, and not any specific YouTubers

Edit: If you're here to discuss any particular YouTuber, please scroll down. I've already had this discussion, and I have nothing more to consider or add regarding this derailment. I've fixed the problem by posting an edited image. Thank you so much!

KingThrillgore ,
@KingThrillgore@lemmy.ml avatar

The click bait made a recovery

spujb , (edited )

i am of the seemingly rare opinion that youtube clickbait is far from the worst part of the platform. in this instance there is no misinformation, no harm.

these titles don’t even verge on deception—a dog’s lick DID cause a life threatening infection! dog licks are NOT to be treated as perfectly sanitary! the most extreme result of this is that people start washing their hands, being aware of open wounds around pets, and booking veterinarian appointments more frequently.

LinkOpensChest_wav OP ,
@LinkOpensChest_wav@lemmy.dbzer0.com avatar

You're not really saying there's nothing deceptive about these clickbait titles? Lol. Lmao, even.

cupcakezealot ,
@cupcakezealot@lemmy.blahaj.zone avatar

"man gets hit by bus after viewing porn on his computer". man, age 35, went out for a walk and was hit by a bus. last week he was viewing porn. connect the dots.

BeardedGingerWonder ,

OMFG I've watched porn before. Will I get hit by a bus if I step out in front of it?

LucidNightmare ,

I would like everyone that has YouTube always signed in to log out and completely clean your cookies and website data, restart your browser, and go back to the home page of YouTube.

It is atrocious. This is what people who are new to YouTube will see, and it is very clear how not only adults but especially kids and teens will be fooled into either believing or reenacting the dumbest shit you see on there, or they’ll go further down the already steep cliff and be even worse off. It is, in my opinion at least, that there needs to be a moderation on the home page. Badly.

LinkOpensChest_wav OP ,
@LinkOpensChest_wav@lemmy.dbzer0.com avatar

It's so bad. I feel like literally every monetized channel is using clickbait at this point, and the trend has even spread like a cancer onto major news networks.

CatTrickery ,

I'm hoping SmartTube adding DeArrow, which they say is on the roadmap, will mean completely avoiding shit like this going forward.

LinkOpensChest_wav OP ,
@LinkOpensChest_wav@lemmy.dbzer0.com avatar

I hope Tubular (formerly NewPipe) gets this, too. It already has Sponsorblock

vonbaronhans ,

Does nobody else notice this is rage bait about videos that were posted 4 or 5 years ago?

LinkOpensChest_wav OP ,
@LinkOpensChest_wav@lemmy.dbzer0.com avatar

I'm raging so hard right now

vonbaronhans ,

me too, me too

spujb ,

huge rage bait going on here. there are so many despicable and predatory things happening right now on that platform but yeah lets get mad at some ancient titles 🤪

itslilith , (edited )
@itslilith@lemmy.blahaj.zone avatar

I recently discovered DeArrow, from the creator of SponsorBlock, and I'm not going back

It replaces thumbnails with random frames of the video or community curated thumbnails, and titles with informative, community-written summaries. It's a bit sparse at the moment, but the more people contribute, the better it'll get

miss_brainfarts ,

It's fantastic, isn't it? I can't stand seeing those dumbass thumbnail faces anymore. So sad that creators are kinds required to do certains things for their video to perform well

isVeryLoud ,
@isVeryLoud@lemmy.ca avatar

Then you should try the extension that replaces all thumbnails with a Mr beast reaction thumbnail!

LinkOpensChest_wav OP ,
@LinkOpensChest_wav@lemmy.dbzer0.com avatar

Oh that sounds promising! I'll have to check it out

Gxost ,

Clickbait is Unreasonably Effective: https://youtu.be/S2xHZPH5Sng

Bonehead ,

You almost got me, but I'm not going to click on that.

Viking_Hippie ,

Damn, I must be much more of a badass than I thought, having survived dogsitting my mom's Cavalier King Charles Spaniel every week for several years! https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/e7b67554-0abe-45ac-9536-c9cb51c2196f.jpeg

LinkOpensChest_wav OP ,
@LinkOpensChest_wav@lemmy.dbzer0.com avatar

"I would catch a grenade for you"???

Oh, really??

I would literally let a dog lick my face.

Viking_Hippie ,

I always hated that song. And not just because it's a prime example of conveyor belt pop excrement. That's expected of hits nowadays.

My problem is this: bat the fucking thing away like you were a cat! What are you doing CATCHING a live grenade, you utter fool?!

LinkOpensChest_wav OP ,
@LinkOpensChest_wav@lemmy.dbzer0.com avatar

It's darkly twisted to envision a situation in which catching a grenade for someone would be warranted.

Seems less than ideal in that the person you're protecting would have to live with the trauma of witnessing that for the rest of their life.

Viking_Hippie ,

Yeah, that Bruno Mars must be one sick puppy, pun intended!

pineapplelover ,

There appears to be a pattern here

LinkOpensChest_wav OP ,
@LinkOpensChest_wav@lemmy.dbzer0.com avatar

Get licked to die instantly

LeroyJenkins ,

I mean chubbyemu is a doctor who usually explains the medicine behind this stuff and the others are just news channels. yeah they're baity, but they're also doing what theyve always been doing.

I'm more bothered by the bait content that just steals other people's stuff and sticks their face in the corner making a stupid face

FierroGamer ,

Do not lump chubbyemu with irresponsible clickbait, it's anything but, he made his channel to have people learn and be aware of these rare medical incidents. He's a doctor btw.

LinkOpensChest_wav OP ,
@LinkOpensChest_wav@lemmy.dbzer0.com avatar

I don't know, but thats definitely a title seeking clicks ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

FierroGamer ,

It's almost like that's what the title is for

That doesn't make it irresponsible

LinkOpensChest_wav OP ,
@LinkOpensChest_wav@lemmy.dbzer0.com avatar

Responsible reporting would include the cause in the title instead of making you click to learn this basic information. YouTube culture is a blight.

inverted_deflector ,
@inverted_deflector@startrek.website avatar

It's literally what happened to the individual. Its not a bait and switch and chubby emu especially goes into detail explaining exactly what happens with a disclaimer at the beginning citing the journal this came from and explaining that this is uncommon but if you do show symptoms after licking to seek medical help and mention you have pets.

LinkOpensChest_wav OP ,
@LinkOpensChest_wav@lemmy.dbzer0.com avatar

The title is very clickbaity. It's only interested in getting you to click on the video. Whatever caused this person's loss should be included in the title.

Even when I plug that video URL into youtubetranscript.com, the exact cause isn't disclosed upfront. It's specifically written to increase engagement and monetization. That's the opposite of credible reporting.

Maybe that's what it takes to survive in YouTube's hellscape, but it's still irresponsible clickbait.

inverted_deflector ,
@inverted_deflector@startrek.website avatar

What exactly makes it irresponsible?

LinkOpensChest_wav OP ,
@LinkOpensChest_wav@lemmy.dbzer0.com avatar

It's vague enough to spread fear, it implies that the cause is the lick itself and omits definitely relevant details. It deliberately doesn't provide these details upfront.

I've now entered that video's URL into the YouTube Transcript site, and it's actually even worse than I thought. The script appears to be deliberately written not to disclose the relevant facts upfront, but instead to keep you in the dark for most of the video.

Responsible journalists include all relevant facts in the headline and first paragraph, then may go in depth into methodology, etc.

Videos like this have one goal: To make money

inverted_deflector ,
@inverted_deflector@startrek.website avatar

The video series he does is to essentially put the viewer in the shoes of the diagnosis process and mystery of it all. Is it irresponsible when videos showing mystery stories dont lead with who the killer was or when jokes dont start with the punch line?

If you just clicked the video you'd see the first image is a disclosure mentioning that this kind of case is uncommon and explaining the circumstances in which you should seek medical attention.

Overall I dont see why putting all the facts in a headline makes it more or less responsible. You want to know the story then watch it. It's not like the story is misleading or wrong, and his video in particular is pretty thorough in going over exactly whats happening and why.

LinkOpensChest_wav OP ,
@LinkOpensChest_wav@lemmy.dbzer0.com avatar

But then it still doesn't make sense to lead with the dog lick. Clearly, there were symptoms. I doubt they rushed someone to the ER immediately after a dog licked them. That's absurd.

inverted_deflector ,
@inverted_deflector@startrek.website avatar

The dog lick is literally what transmitted the disease that eventually lead to the patient getting sepsis and dying.

LinkOpensChest_wav OP ,
@LinkOpensChest_wav@lemmy.dbzer0.com avatar

Yes, but the patient didn't present with a dog lick, and I doubt it was even a consideration to begin with. "Dog lick shuts down man's organs!!!!!!1!!1!" just gets views. It's not really honest imo.

Ookami38 ,

Cool, I'll talk here then. Yeah they presented with an illness that was transmitted to them via dog lick. Still not clickbait. The dog lick caused the illness in a weird fashion. There's nothing sensationalizing dogs, or fear mongering or anything else. It's a weird medical case, BECAUSE it was transmitted by a dog.

LinkOpensChest_wav OP ,
@LinkOpensChest_wav@lemmy.dbzer0.com avatar

I'll block his channel so I don't accidentally screenshot him again in the future. I hope he keeps you warm at night.

Ookami38 ,

But the headline should just be... What? Man dies? I guess that's not clickbait. Not very interesting, either. Almost like YouTube videos are made to be entertainment, with some knowledge sprinkled in.

Chubbyemus videos are some of the least clickbait stuff I've seen, hands down lol.

Ookami38 ,

It's a video made for entertainment and light reporting. Not a journalism piece. He includes the relevant facts, and he breaks the case down on a turn by turn basis. I guess every documentary about a killer or some shit is "clickbait" if they don't tell you who did it in the first few minutes, eh? Nevermind mystery and intrigue.

LinkOpensChest_wav OP ,
@LinkOpensChest_wav@lemmy.dbzer0.com avatar

Yes, congratulations! You've described a widespread trend that I find harmful. This dishonest clickbait is "normal," and that's the bad part, but I've already tired of this discussion

Ookami38 ,

Bait implies a dishonesty. There is no dishonesty, there is no bait.

LinkOpensChest_wav OP ,
@LinkOpensChest_wav@lemmy.dbzer0.com avatar

Hey, if you scroll down you'll see I've already had this conversation. You're giving me no new information to consider, and I've nothing more to add.

Clickbait is usually technically true, yes. Doesn't make the practice any better.

Ookami38 ,

In my experience, clickbait makes wild claims, that don't show up in the video, or are drastically overstated. Like, if he said "dog lick sends man to hospital with multiple organs failure" and then yeah, he was licked by a dog then ate some arsenic, that's one thing. That's clickbait. Implying a weird thing caused the issues, when it was really just arsenic. The dog lick directly leading to it, though, is a different story.

LinkOpensChest_wav OP ,
@LinkOpensChest_wav@lemmy.dbzer0.com avatar

Again, scroll down, and have a good day.

Kalkaline ,
@Kalkaline@leminal.space avatar

Saying "This video is about a patient with c.diff" goes against the whole point of the presentation. The video is designed in line with vignette cases that would be presented in med school. You're supposed to get the history and presentation and develop a diagnosis as you go.

LinkOpensChest_wav OP ,
@LinkOpensChest_wav@lemmy.dbzer0.com avatar

But the presenter already knows the details. We're not livestreaming the event lol

Anyway, I've changed the post to omit the channel names. It's this whole style of presentation that I oppose. Even major news outlets started doing this at some point because they learned that it gets clicks. I find it ethically questionable, but clearly you disagree.

xionzui ,

It’s the viewing experience that’s the point. Would you want every murder mystery movie to be named “the killer was X”?

LinkOpensChest_wav OP ,
@LinkOpensChest_wav@lemmy.dbzer0.com avatar

Murder mysteries are typically works of fiction that aren't exploiting other people's grave misfortune for the sake of profit

xionzui ,

So the only acceptable way to communicate medical cases is in 2 sentences covering the context and final conclusion? And the only reason for that is that they happened to a real person?

LinkOpensChest_wav OP ,
@LinkOpensChest_wav@lemmy.dbzer0.com avatar

Please scroll down. This is not a new discussion, and I've already addressed all of this.

Death ,

I don't even understand why do some people think that "if the content of the videos/articles are good then clickbait is ok"

LinkOpensChest_wav OP ,
@LinkOpensChest_wav@lemmy.dbzer0.com avatar

Yeah, I think some people got really distracted by the fact they saw the names of some YouTubers on the image. That's why I replaced it with one that obscured the user names.

I think their line of thinking goes something like: "I like this YouTuber, therefore they can do no wrong" -- which is really odd logic to me. Some people don't realize that actions can be bad without the person being bad overall.

Ookami38 ,

The issue with calling specifically chubbyemus videos clickbait is that they're just NOT. His titles are accurate as to what happens in the medical case. The others? Yeah, probably actively trying to bait clicks from chubbyemus videos.

LinkOpensChest_wav OP ,
@LinkOpensChest_wav@lemmy.dbzer0.com avatar

You're being dishonest if you're telling me that's not clickbait lol

Rai ,

I’ve only seen the obscured image and I knew immediately it was chubbyemu hahaha

LinkOpensChest_wav OP ,
@LinkOpensChest_wav@lemmy.dbzer0.com avatar

The name of chubbyemu is almost triggering for me after the exhausting conversations I wound up in yesterday lol

Oh wait, new video title idea: "The name of this YouTube channel caused a man to lose his mind"

meowMix2525 ,

Hate to nitpick but that's not quite the formula

"A Lemmy user complained about a youtuber's video title formula. This is what happened to their brain."

LinkOpensChest_wav OP ,
@LinkOpensChest_wav@lemmy.dbzer0.com avatar

You'll do well on YouTube!

Ookami38 ,

I think chubbyemu gets a pass because his titles are accurate, not just bait. At least every video I've ever watched from him, it's been exactly what it says on the tin. Hardly a "bait". The others? Yeah, probably shit and I'd say 50/50 they're actively trying to... Well, bait clicks from chubbyemus vids to theirs.

xionzui ,

Well…kinda. They’re always technically true, but sometimes it’s like “turns out she actually had aids for years and never knew”

meowMix2525 ,

I mean it's an honest title and chubbyemu even goes to the extent to explain the medical reasons as to how it happened why the average person doesn't need to worry. When that's not the case, his videos are cautionary tales meant to inform the public of the medical consequences of behavior they might not otherwise think all the way through. I honestly one of the few cases that gets a legit pass, and it should be standard for click bait like this to be accompanied by the disclaimers and medical background he includes in his videos.

Fosheze ,

That doesn't change the fact that those titles are click baity as fuck.

amio ,

You can think the channel is OK and still think the clickbait is cancer.

Thorry84 ,

In what way is that title clickbait? He describes a medical emergency where some is licked by a dog and the person's organs shut down. I don't know how else to formulate a title like that.
He also consistently uses the same format for all his titles, which I feel are very descriptive and a point of recognition for his channel.

Sanctus ,
@Sanctus@lemmy.world avatar

Man dies after eating chicken tenders! Woman loses her child to cat litter! Elderly man foreskin amputated after drinking monster!

A clickbait title consists of two nouns and a verb. The first noun and verb are the subject and context of what happened. The third noun is to draw a connect and get you to ask "What/Why?" It iffers no true insight and exists purely to get you to click. These match that criteria.

Ookami38 ,

If those things all directly led to the death, they're perfectly fine titles. Titles include a vague description, and yeah.. if someone ate a tendie, or as is the style of these videos, likely 300 tendies, it's not clickBAIT. It's just a title. Bait implies there's something insincere.

If a dog licked a guy, and then he went out and got shot, sure don't tell me the dog lick killed him, but if it's anything that specifically comes from the lick, man, it's fair enough.

thepreciousboar ,

What's up with dog licking people and horrible things happening? Has something happened and they try to clickbait?

De_Narm ,

Watch the topmost video in the screenshot if you want to know what could happen. Chubbyemu is an actual doctor explaining what happens in various medical emergencies, including rare freak accidents like this.

Anyways, there's nothing recent I can think of. It did happen, but it's extremely unlikely.

LinkOpensChest_wav OP ,
@LinkOpensChest_wav@lemmy.dbzer0.com avatar

My guess would be that these people had some condition to make them susceptible to bacterial infections, and if it hadn't been the dog kisses, it would have been something else. When I worked in a medical floor of a hospital, I learned there are many types of bacteria or fungi that most of us are able to ward off, but someone who's immunocompromised or otherwise susceptible might die from it. Sadly, I witnessed many such cases.

It's truly tragic what these people experienced, and sadly capitalism dictates that we must find a way to monetize their loss. That's one reason I call it irresponsible, along with the use of FUD to gain clicks, causing people to fear things they should not.

You or I could probably let a dog lick a gaping wound and be just fine (not that I'd recommend it lol)

iAmTheTot ,
@iAmTheTot@kbin.social avatar

My guess would be

Why guess? Watch one of the videos and find out.

What exactly would you say the titles of these videos should be? Retitle them for me in a way that meets your standards.

LinkOpensChest_wav OP ,
@LinkOpensChest_wav@lemmy.dbzer0.com avatar

  1. I'm not going to give these clicks

  2. I've already looked at the transcript for one, and it's so obtusely written that I couldn't readily find the relevant details

  3. This is not my field of study. I assure you when I wrote my thesis, you would have been provided all relevant details in the title and abstract

iAmTheTot ,
@iAmTheTot@kbin.social avatar

These aren't a thesis, they are YouTube videos. None of these titles are meant to instill fear. They are meant to capture interest. That's not the same thing.

If someone is afraid to let a dog lick them after reading these titles but not watching the content of the video, that reflects more on them than it does these titles.

LinkOpensChest_wav OP ,
@LinkOpensChest_wav@lemmy.dbzer0.com avatar

They are meant to capture interest

...by creating FUD. This is textbook YouTuber stuff. The video is probably also monetized, to add another layer of ethical grayness.

LinkOpensChest_wav OP ,
@LinkOpensChest_wav@lemmy.dbzer0.com avatar

Ok I thought of an example of how I'd write the headline:

c is a rare condition that affects one out of x people worldwide and, in rare cases, can cause loss of limb, when exposed to b bacteria

I wouldn't even mention the dog lick until later, if I decided to cite this incident as a relevant example.

outer_spec ,
@outer_spec@lemmy.blahaj.zone avatar

The dog in question:

a cute photo of penguin with its tounge sticking out, its tounge and the inside of its mouth are covered in tiny spikes

LinkOpensChest_wav OP ,
@LinkOpensChest_wav@lemmy.dbzer0.com avatar

Toothy tongue

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