this post was submitted on 30 Jan 2024

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YouTube clickbait is out of contrule (i.postimg.cc)

submitted 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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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!

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[–] [email protected] 89 points 6 months ago (3 children)

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.

[–] [email protected] 58 points 6 months ago (2 children)

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

[–] [email protected] 29 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 children)

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

That doesn't make it irresponsible

[–] [email protected] 45 points 6 months ago (2 children)

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

[–] [email protected] 21 points 6 months ago (1 children)

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.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 6 months ago (1 children)

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.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 6 months ago (1 children)

What exactly makes it irresponsible?

[–] [email protected] 19 points 6 months ago (2 children)

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

[–] [email protected] 11 points 6 months ago (2 children)

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.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 6 months ago (1 children)

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.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 6 months ago (3 children)

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

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 6 months ago (5 children)

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.

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[–] [email protected] 20 points 6 months ago (1 children)

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.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 6 months ago (4 children)

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.

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 6 months ago (3 children)

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

[–] [email protected] 10 points 6 months ago (1 children)

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.

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

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.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 6 months ago (5 children)

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.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 6 months ago (1 children)

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.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 6 months ago

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

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[–] [email protected] 54 points 6 months ago

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

[–] [email protected] 28 points 6 months ago (1 children)

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

[–] [email protected] 15 points 6 months ago (1 children)

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.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 6 months ago (1 children)

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.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 6 months ago

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.

[–] [email protected] 40 points 6 months ago (1 children)

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

[–] [email protected] 12 points 6 months ago

Toothy tongue

[–] [email protected] 31 points 6 months ago

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

[–] [email protected] 25 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (2 children)

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

[–] [email protected] 10 points 6 months ago (1 children)

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

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[–] [email protected] 17 points 6 months ago (2 children)

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

[–] [email protected] 15 points 6 months ago

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

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[–] [email protected] 13 points 6 months ago (1 children)

"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.

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[–] [email protected] 12 points 6 months ago (2 children)

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

[–] [email protected] 7 points 6 months ago (1 children)

I'm raging so hard right now

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[–] [email protected] 10 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (2 children)

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!

[–] [email protected] 10 points 6 months ago (3 children)

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

Oh, really??

I would literally let a dog lick my face.

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 6 months ago (1 children)

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.

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 children)

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.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 6 months ago

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

[–] [email protected] 7 points 6 months ago (1 children)

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