Constant use of swearing. Frequent use of "f--k", "s--t", "bitch", "ass", "eat a d--k". The title of one of his most popular videos is "bitch lasagne". Earlier videos do not bleep out profanity, but more recent videos do bleep out some profanity.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.
PewDiePie's gaming videos often times serve as ads for the games he's playing. Due to the nature of the YouTube platform, viewers may be subjected to ads that are not always guaranteed to be age appropriate. Ads sponsors and affiliate links are presented by PewDiePie throughout videos as well as links to apps and purchases in video descriptions. sponsorship ads. PewDiePie has his own clothing line with his wife, which he links to on the "about" section of his channel.
Sex, Romance & Nudity
some
Some videos involve sexual content, mostly as discussion points. In one case, a woman talks about "giving head." Suggestive language, especially in video titles like "My First Time" and "This Game Is a Porno??". He sometimes makes lewd, sexually related comments.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.
References to drinking and drug use in some of the videos. In one video a woman talks about getting lit with her bong. One of his most popular music videos shows him drinking champagne with friends, but not to excess.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.
For better or worse, PewDiePie understands his influential position and knows what his fans want, but often that's streams of profanity and ribald, offensive subject matter. His earlier content was reckless, featuring sexist commentary, anti-Semitic statements and homophobic comments which the creator framed as "jokes". A lot of what he says and does is for shock effect. He's since posted videos apologizing for his past videos and ignorant comments, but not all videos containing this content were taken down. Earlier videos show him obsessed with subscriber numbers, while more recent content has a little more insight and reflection, which can show growth for viewers who have insight to understand. Still, many of his comments tend to mock and pass judgement. Despite his problematic content, the "community" section of his channel shows how strong and tight-knit his followers are and they tend to be supportive and thoughtful with one another. His channel links to his Instagram account, which paints a much more wholesome picture of the creator with mostly photos of him with his wife and dog.
Positive Messages
very little
PewDiePie could be the poster child for the internet's ability to make just about anyone famous. Gamers may find his commentary on various games interesting, and he's clearly influenced a wave of YouTubers, but a majority of his channel's subject matter is pointless, crude, obnoxious and offensive. While his earlier content was more problematic, some of his newer content reflects his growth and possible maturity throughout the years and several controversies later. He's diversified his content to also include commentary on tv episodes, apology videos, reddit threads and even books. In one video he explores his thoughts on Buddhism, Stoicism and more based on books he's read. There's a strong sense of support, camaraderie and sharing common interests on the "community" section of his channel.
Diverse Representations
Flagged for concern
Some past videos used racist (gaming video in 2017 where he used the "N" word), anti-semetic remarks and had misogynistic comments under the guise of "jokes" to justify his behavior. Created apology videos for past problematic content and newer content shows him trying to change some of this negative behavior, but much of his older content is still available on his channel. PewDiePie had an ongoing battle for subscribers with Indian record label, T-Series, where he created a diss track, "Congratulations", which featured derogatory lyrics about Indian people. The battle between the two channels lead to hate speech and racist remarks from some of PewDiePie's fans.
Parents need to know that PewDiePie is a YouTube channel whose Swedish host, Felix Kjellberg (a.k.a. PewDiePie), is known for his relentless cursing, raunchy subject matter, and Let's Play gaming videos. The show's content is difficult to predict, as much of it is either stream-of-consciousness reflection on a certain topic or comedy shorts with a similar lack of direction. Many of PewDiePie's past videos are notorious for referencing sexual subjects (including slang like "giving head"); racial, ethnic, anti-Semitic (he once paid people to hold up a sign saying "Death to all Jews"), and homophobic "jokes;" and strong language (frequent use of "f--k", "s--t", "bitch", "ass"). After receiving backlash for his insensitive remarks, PewDiePie released apology videos and deleted some of the problematic videos (but not all). He's seemingly tamed down his more recent content, however he still says things for shock value and many of his past videos are still available and remain his most popular content. Some of his more recent content will bleep out several swear words. He's also diversified his content as he now features videos where he shares commentary on tv show episodes and books he likes. Like many YouTube creators, PewDiePie's channel is saturated with ads, sponsorships and affiliate codes. This channel is definitely not suitable for younger kids and is questionable at best for teens. If tweens and teens are already a fan of this viral YouTuber, it may be helpful to discuss the content and help them think critically about the videos they watch.
beavisfarted E.Parent of 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18+-year-old
June 23, 2024
age 18+
he should go back to being a minimum wage fast food worker
i despise this channel it made my kids implode 0/10 for kids 0/10 for adults all it is is just the worst content on earth i wish he would come to his sense and stop making the worst content ever, just too much adult humor to even enjoy, 1 joke is an adult joke from him
What’s It About?
PEWDIEPIE is a widely popular YouTube channel whose host Felix Kjellberg (a.k.a. PewDiePie) plays and commentates on video games, shares and talks about other creators' videos, and stars in comedy shorts of his own. There are jokes, stream-of-consciousness observations, comical stunts, and random assortments of content. More recently he's featured videos where he comments on memes, Reddit threads, tv shows, and shares some of his life adventures like moving to Japan. This channel was started in 2010 and there's a clear distinction between earlier videos and newer content. While earlier videos were much more shocking, rowdy and problematic, newer content seems to be tamer and a bit more censored. While videos still feature Let's Play gaming videos riddled with explicit language, other content. like parody music videos and year-end rewinds, offer wacky entertainment and laughs for non-gamers.
This chart-topping channel has gone through an evolution of seriously problematic to not-as-problematic content as it's creator, Felix Kjellberg, has faced an array of backlash for the crude, edgy and sometimes dangerous rhetoric the channel has built its fame on. PewDiePie has gone from reckless Let's Play videos riddled with explicit language and racist, misogynistic commentary, to somewhat toned down content that attempts to offer more than outlandish shock value. But the reality is the past never stays in the past when it's been posted online. Many of PewDiePie's controversial content still lives on in the archives of his channel and is even highlighted as his most popular videos.
Some of his post-controversy videos are mildly entertaining and seemingly heartfelt, like his series that documents his move to Japan with his wife and dog, or his video "Rating YouTuber Apology Videos" where he makes light of how many YouTubers create cut-and-paste apologies in attempt to not get cancelled (he even rates his own apology from years ago, with some decent introspection). It seems like PewDiePie is in an era of teetering between the more wholesome family man he portrays on his Instagram and the impulsive obnoxious influencer that originally fueled his fanbase and earned him a top spot on YouTube charts. Until he figures it out, his channel will continue to fall short of anything we want our tweens or teens to idolize.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the purpose of YouTube channels like PewDiePie. Is this channel meant to entertain and add value to its viewers, or does it use shock factor and edginess to bring in viewers and money? How can you distinguish between these two intentions? What value does this type of content give to viewers?
Whose responsibility is it to protect viewers from inappropriate content on easily accessible platforms like YouTube? What are the inherent dangers of unchecked censorship?
Teens: Who are some of your favorite YouTube personalities? Do you learn anything from the online shows you watch? How can these creators do better when it comes to creating more safe and valuable content?
PewDiePie made headlines in the past for a videos where he made racist and anti-Semitic remarks. Where's the line between being edgy to get viewers and actual hate speech? Were his apology videos sufficient? What actions has he taken (or not) to change his behavior?
Why is it important to be conscious of what we document online and on social media? How are the mistakes we make in everyday life amplified when we make them online? How can we handle our mistakes when we make them in such a public place?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
suggesting a diversity update.
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By Laura Ordonez
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
