How YouTube makes everything more extreme

This week on The Vergecast, we’re doing something a little different — we’re introducing you to our newest reporter, Julia Alexander, who joins The Verge to cover YouTube, Twitch, and more. Nilay sat down with Julia to talk about the controversy around YouTube’s recommendation algorithm, the rise of parasocial relationships, and how creators are cultivating an audience of very savvy media consumers. Below is a brief, edited transcript of their conversation about how YouTube’s recommendation algorithm is radicalizing young people on the far right: Nilay Patel: What’s broken with the platform? Julia Alexander: So the number one issue I think is the recommendation algorithm. It’s radicalizing so many people. I spoke to a lot of kids, for... Continue reading…