How To Win Your YouTube Reccomendations

Do these sentences describe you? Hating YouTube, not getting notifications for my subscriptions, despite the recommendations. Then you have come to the right place. Will I be able to solve all your problems with YouTube? No, because they still need to get their act together in regards to copyright and censorship, and the dumpster fire known as the trending tab. However, I am going to be focusing on an issue that might affect you daily if you watch YouTube, the recommended box. This used to be one of the most frustrating things I had to deal with before I started figuring out how to tailor it for me. Before I start to bore you lets get into these rules.

Watch things you like and are interested in

This may sound pretty simple on the surface level but look at your history on YouTube, Is it full of different topics that you have no idea how you watched such as random cat videos or food asmr. This may seem insignificant but over the long run, the algorithm will start thinking you are interested in those videos instead of the ones you regularly watch that will slowly make the recommendations drift to completely random stuff that you have no idea about.

Never give in

Has there recently been a video titled “turtles like strawberries” well at least for me that was the case. Every single video I watched on the sidebar was the same video and YouTube saying “HEY YOU WANT TO WATCH THIS, DON’T YOU?”. Even if it does peak your interest just remember if you click on it then that is going to leak into your recommendations. So only click on those videos if you want more.

Don’t bother your time with ‘not interested’

With every single video box there are three little dots on the bottom right and one of the options is not interested. From all the time I have clicked this button, it does not fix the issue. You have to use brute force and just not watch the video or it will just keep staying in your recommendations.

Don’t hate it just because it is there

By having an emotional reaction towards any type of video thrown in your direction that is more data to be feed to polarize on a specific topic and be lead down that rabbit hole.

What to do to fix this?

• You are screwed if you watch on mobile (switch to places, like a PC were you have more control)
• Download chrome extensions to have control
  • SponsorBlock
  • Focused YouTube
• Engage less with the comment section