Investigation 1 Teenage Gamer Personas

The investigation found that while gaming content dominated recommendations, YouTube's algorithm served teenage personas videos containing sexually explicit 'sex mods' in Minecraft, themes of suicide, and adult entertainment without age restrictions. Despite identical viewing habits, the male and female accounts received different numbers of videos and ads, though the report concludes that these differences are likely driven by unknown algorithmic decisions rather than gender alone, except in specific targeted advertising.

• YouTube's recommendation algorithm served teenage users gaming content that included sexually explicit material and references to suicide, specifically citing Minecraft videos featuring "sex mods" and imagery of suicide.
• The personas were recommended adult entertainment and content glorifying weapons without YouTube providing content warnings or age restrictions. This included TV-MA rated shows like South Park, Family Guy, and American Dad, as well as videos on guns and ballistics from channels such as Demolition Ranch and Kentucky Ballistics.
• There were significant discrepancies in the recommendations provided to the male and female accounts despite them watching identical content. Over 50% of the videos recommended to each account were unique to that account, and the male persona received 22 more total video recommendations than the female persona.
• While some differences in ad content appeared gendered—such as the female account seeing ads for hair extensions and workout clothes while the male account saw an ad for the US Border Guard—the report suggests that overall recommendation differences are driven by unknown algorithmic factors rather than gender alone.
• Both accounts were recommended Christian-themed religious content, including sermons and livestreams from a Pentecostal mega-church, despite neither persona having previously engaged with or searched for religious content.

APA

Gallagher, A. (2024). Investigation 1 Teenage Gamer Personas. Institute for Strategic Dialogue. https://www.isdglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Pulling-Back-the-Curtain-Teenage-Gamers.pdf

Chicago

Gallagher, Aoife. Investigation 1 Teenage Gamer Personas. Institute for Strategic Dialogue, 2024. https://www.isdglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Pulling-Back-the-Curtain-Teenage-Gamers.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Gallagher |first1=Aoife |title=Investigation 1 Teenage Gamer Personas |publisher=Institute for Strategic Dialogue |date=2024 |url=https://www.isdglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Pulling-Back-the-Curtain-Teenage-Gamers.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{gallagher2024investigation, author = {Gallagher, Aoife}, title = {{Investigation 1 Teenage Gamer Personas}}, institution = {Institute for Strategic Dialogue}, year = {2024}, url = {https://www.isdglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Pulling-Back-the-Curtain-Teenage-Gamers.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }