I never found YouTube comments problematic. On the contrary: they are the closer to a universal, democratic, ununcensoredsensored dialogue we have ever achieved as a planet.
There's racism, sexism, nationalism etc? That's exactly because those also exist in the world. That's what makes YouTube comment threads democratic and uncensored. It gives people living in their microcosm and social bubble a chance to find out what other people believe and think.
It's also the visual nature of the medium: unlike a blog post or some web essay, a video can attrack visitors from more walks of life, more ages, more countries, more educational levels, and more perspectives. Even the language the video is in is not an absolute barrier (people can still enjoy what's shown without it).
Well, you might not think they are, but if you wrote them then that's how you felt at the time, so they do provide an authentic look of part of you (which you might have outgrown, but that's beside the point).
I think people are compelled to act certain ways in certain environments. I wouldn't say the same things to my family as I would to my friends and vice-versa. If you're in a cesspool, you're not afraid to throw shit because everyone's already subsumed in it.
There's racism, sexism, nationalism etc? That's exactly because those also exist in the world. That's what makes YouTube comment threads democratic and uncensored. It gives people living in their microcosm and social bubble a chance to find out what other people believe and think.
It's also the visual nature of the medium: unlike a blog post or some web essay, a video can attrack visitors from more walks of life, more ages, more countries, more educational levels, and more perspectives. Even the language the video is in is not an absolute barrier (people can still enjoy what's shown without it).