Worst

The article “Why are YouTube Comments the Worst on the Internet?” attempts to answer its own question by examining the sociological effects that unrestricted, unmonitored use of the internet has on digital interactions, but doesn’t provide any revolutionary findings or proposals. The central theme of the article is youtube comments reflect the worst of humanity because no filter, oversight, or identification exists. The result is often a colorful, depraved collection of racial slurs, homophobic remarks, personal attacks, and political insults. Digital insults are not exclusive to YouTube. I can’t help but recall the time when Microsoft launched its first AI chatbot and within a day, Twitter had corrupted the AI into a “racist, misogynistic, Donald Trumpist asshole.” All the AI did was mimic and parrot the internet (https://www.theverge.com/2016/3/24/11297050/tay-microsoft-chatbot-racist). And yet, I can’t help but reflect on how we are still so drawn to the strange digital microcosm of human interactions that is the flaming garbage of the internet. Almost every time I watch a video or read an article, I scroll down to see what other people have thought or written, even though I know to expect the same trash I’ve seen on every feed. In doing so, I give the trolls the exact attention they desire. Maybe it’s time to consider the moral implications of my YouTube usage. I appreciated the “We Didn’t Start the Flame War” parody piece because it showed how ridiculous the comment feeds can get. Works like this and the “Celebrities Read Mean Tweets” series by Jimmy Kimmel may be artful ways to address the issues at hand in a humorous, yet upfront way.