What can Doyon attribute to that increase? Well, a lot of it came as a result of fellow YouTuber Jimmy Donaldson, aka MrBeast.

The multimillionaire YouTuber invited Doyon, along with three other at-the-time sub-100,000 subscriber creators, to compete on his channel. The prize? MrBeast would personally promote the winner’s channel, telling his millions of fans to subscribe to that person.

Well, it wouldn’t make sense to bring that up unless Doyon won, which he did. And in a single day, he gained more than 900,000 subscribers.

Now, years later, we see that more than four million subscribers watch as Doyon and his friends engage in a variety of fun challenges. Like, for example, attempting to stay hidden for an hour in a game from real police officers and members of the special forces. In another contest, they compete against each other to perform impressive acrobatic stunts they’ve seen in movies or video games. And sometimes, they’re just building hidden rooms inside their homes to see how long it takes for others to find them.

POSITIVE CONTENT

Doyon is clearly grateful for the opportunity he received from MrBeast. He’s thanked the creator many times for helping his channel, and he’s shown his appreciation in a variety of ways, such as when he launched a self-playing miniature piano into space while it played the MrBeast theme song.

Doyon is a Christian, and he makes references to his faith in some of his videos. And even when he doesn’t directly reference his beliefs verbally, a couple of the shirts he wears do.

Doyon was one of many YouTubers who helped promote #TeamSeas, an international fundraiser led by YouTubers MrBeast and Mark Rober to remove 30 million pounds of trash and debris from the ocean. The fundraiser ended up raising over $33 million.

Most videos showcase Doyon and his friends just having a bit of harmless fun. Occasionally, people outside the normal Zealous crew, from other YouTubers to interested strangers, are invited to join them.

And we’ll be the first to admit that his skills in acrobatics are impressive.

CONTENT CONCERNS

In one video, Doyon strips to his boxers to jump from a back deck down into a pile of snow.

People suffer minor injuries and light scrapes in some videos. In a popular sub-series on the channel, two people compete to pull off difficult acrobatic moves, and if someone fails, they’re punished with a hard slap on their exposed back.

When someone jokes that the loser of a challenge will be nailed to a board, someone yells out, “Nailed!? Like Jesus!?”

We heard one instance in an old video where the word “d-ck” was used, and we occasionally heard “crap.” Otherwise, viewers hear milder substitutes for harsh profanities, such as “frick” and “gosh dang.”

CHANNEL SUMMARY

To be zealous is to be energetically inspired to accomplish something. And in the case of Doyon and his friends, Zealous is where they showcase that character trait. Sure, they’re typically just having fun and playing games, but each upload nevertheless comes with an objective and a whole lot of energy.

That being said, one old video contains a crude word, and another old upload briefly displays Doyon in his boxers. Still, with more than 200 videos and counting on the channel, it’ll be pretty easy to avoid those two.

Otherwise, I can’t imagine there’s much here that’ll cause you to flip—unless you count the many literal flips Doyon accomplishes on his channel. In that case, just make sure you’ve got a soft place to land underneath you.

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And if you’re with Cory Williams on his YouTube channel CoryxKenshin, you might find yourself laughing in the face of fear itself.

That’s because Williams is a pretty funny guy—and that humor greatly contrasts the videos you’re likely to find on his channel, most of which fall firmly into the horror genre. He’s made plenty of videos showcasing his playthroughs of countless scary games, and he’s got a series reacting to the most frightening videos his viewers have sent him.

But whether you’re screaming out of fear or out of laughter, one thing’s for sure: CoryxKenshin is sure to get a reaction out of you.

Note: CoryxKenshin was requested by a user of Plugged In. Do you have a YouTube channel you’d like us to review? Submit your request by sending it to letters@pluggedin.com, or contact us via Facebook or Instagram so we can check it out!

POSITIVE CONTENT

Williams is a Christian. In the “About” section of his channel, he desires to “live in God’s image,” and you’ll find a Bible verse at the end of each video.

Williams brings plenty of fun to each video. Despite the dark material in the games he plays and the videos to which he reacts, Williams provides lots of light-hearted comments that brighten the mood. And on a similar note, in his long-running reaction series, “Spooky Scary Sundays,” he interacts with viewers who’ve sent in horror videos for him to watch, taking the time to thank the community member and intentionally provide a comment or two on their submission.

In one animated horror short that depicts the death of a child, Williams warns his younger viewers to not trust strangers, reminding them that they could use manipulative or persuasive tactics to make them drop their guard.

CONTENT CONCERNS

Contrasting Williams’ joyful attitude are the games he plays on his channel, which are predominantly horror. We see frequent jumpscares, monsters and more. In the games (and in horror videos Williams reacts to), we see blood and gore. In one video, we see a child’s head eaten off his body by a monster. In a couple of games, Williams’ child character is a victim of abuse or murder. And one game allows him (playing as a high school student) to murder the other students. And some games and videos make references to self-harm and suicide. Someone is forced to pull maggots out of his eyes and nostrils after he searches up gory photos of an AI woman.

Williams occasionally makes sexual references, such as jokes referencing male anatomy or, in one instance, how if he was promised “big booty women,” he’d crawl into a murderer’s car. He also jokes about texting his wife for oral sex while watching a horror video with a sexually suggestive monster. In another game, though blurred, Williams plays through a section where a deranged mental patient attempts to use a buzzsaw to cut off Williams’ character’s genitals. We sometimes see the naked rears of a couple video game characters.

The occasional demonic enemy likewise makes an appearance in some of the games, as do tarot cards.

Williams makes a point not to swear in his videos. The worst that we heard him say was “crap,” though he does use substitute words like “what the freak” or “heck.” Additionally, he censors crude language when it appears in a game, too—but the same harsh language can still be read in the subtitles of some games, as is the case in his playthrough of horror game The Quarry.

CHANNEL SUMMARY

Were there an example in juxtaposition, CoryxKenshin would be it.

Williams himself comes across as very kind, humorous and genuine. But whereas Williams seems like he’d be a swell guy to meet in real life, the content on his channel will likely cause parents some concern.

Because the channel focuses on horror, most of the channel’s content issues stem on the frightening and the violent—the kind of stuff that’d likely keep a teenager holding their covers a little tighter at night. And with some rare but still present sensual content, CoryxKenshin may be a hard sell for parents.

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In one video, Scott Gaunson, Derek Herron and Brett Stanford drop a giant dart hundreds of feet, causing it to pierce a sheet of bulletproof glass. In another, they attempt to shoot a basketball off the top of a dam into the net far below. In a third, they compete in a game of frisbee golf—except they start on top of a mountain, and the goal is at the bottom.

How Ridiculous! You might think—and that would be very astute of you to do so, since that’s the name of their YouTube channel.

The three Australian friends are at it for some fun, whether that’s completing trick shots, dropping objects onto trampolines to see how high they’ll bounce or sending 200 golf balls down an Olympic ski jump just to see if one will roll into a hole at the bottom.

They may even break a Guinness World Record or two.

POSITIVE CONTENT

Obviously, you don’t click onto a channel called How Ridiculous and expect any educational content. The main point of the channel is pure fun—a lot like the immensely popular Dude Perfect channel. The three friends often lovingly compete and joke with one another. They perform largely gravity-based experiments—not to log data, but merely because it can be enjoyable to see how high a ball will bounce or to succeed on a difficult shot.

However, a couple of educational concepts are explored or referenced, including the Magnus effect (lift achieved by spinning an object through the air) or the coefficient of restitution (how bouncy an object is after collision). On a similar note, the friends often challenge each other to guess what the outcome of their experiments may be, and viewers are often encouraged to guess for themselves, too.

What’s more, Gaunson, Herron and Stanford are all Christians. On their website, they write:

“Yeah, we’ve got a few subscribers, and we are super thankful for that, but our existence isn’t to glorify How Ridiculous. Jesus Christ has been our rock and foundation from day one. His grace is the best gift we (as individuals and as a team) have ever received and we look forward to every new day as an opportunity to make videos that honour Him.”

In pursuit of that goal, the trio has offered long-time support to Compassion International, a Christian ministry that helps release children from poverty across the globe. Over the years, the guys have “helped hundreds of children get sponsored” with the program.

CONTENT CONCERNS

We heard one use of “crap,” “d–n” and “h—” each. While referencing a “whipper snipper” (the Australian term for a weed whacker), someone jokes that the name likewise describes what men do when they don’t want more children.

Other than those few instances, some of the games they play can use equipment that can be dangerous for children, such as when they use a bow and arrow to shoot balloons or when they drop bowling balls off high places. While fun to watch, parents should be mindful that their young children could potentially attempt to copy How Ridiculous’ antics, some of which might lead to adverse consequences without proper safety considerations in place.

CHANNEL SUMMARY

How Ridiculous is indeed just that: ridiculous. But a lot of those silly moments can be exciting to watch. And when your child wants to watch a little fun, it’s helpful to have a couple YouTube channels that you won’t need to worry much about.

The channel isn’t perfect: after viewing about 25 of the channel’s videos, we heard a handful of mild profanities. But those moments weren’t the norm for the rest of our viewing experience, which was squeaky clean.

But if your child does start watching How Ridiculous, we’d only caution those of you with bannisters in your home to glance up in case your kid starts dropping things from above.

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Oleksiuk programs two or three AI apps to engage in a debate on a topic—usually theological in nature (though a couple videos debate prominent American political topics). Each of these AI debaters, coded to be experts on opposite sides of the issue, take rhetorical shots back and forth, articulating why its argument trumps the other.

Does God exist? An “atheist” AI debates a “believer.”

What if Jesus, Muhammad and Buddha were judged by AI? Another video wonders.

Was the Bible corrupted? A third video debate teases.

Oh, but they’re not the only AI programs tossing words in the metaphorical ring. That’s because the 15 judges of the debate are 15 other AI models—from Chat GPT to Grok 2. Following the debate, they’ll determine the winner based on who had the most persuasive argument.

Who would’ve guessed that even a well-programmed artificially intelligent app could lose a debate?

POSITIVE CONTENT

The arguments on Jon Oleksiuk are largely focused on theological topics, and more specifically, topics related to Christianity. We hear many compelling arguments in favor of the religion. And based on the scores at the end of the videos, it’s clear that the AI “judges” find them logically compelling, too.

An added benefit of Oleksiuk’s AI debates is that the opponents never resort to emotional attacks. For example, some issues that humans might debate, such as personhood and abortion, might cause one person to become too impassioned to properly argue a particular point. However, the AI “experts” are able to focus on the root of each issue and the core of their opponent’s argument, since they don’t have an emotional response that might muddle the conversation.

CONTENT CONCERNS

None.

CHANNEL SUMMARY

Using AI apps to complete your homework for you is lazy and will only hurt you in the long run. But using it to debate theological issues? Well, that could be interesting and informative.

Despite the final scoring by the AI judges, Oleksiuk doesn’t claim that the debate winner is the one who is ultimately right—that’s up to you, the viewer, to decide. But what the channel does do is allow viewers to listen to “thoughtful” arguments and determine their validity.

While not explicitly Christian, given Oleksiuk’s focus on Christian debate topics, this channel may well intrigue many a believer.

The post Jon Oleksiuk appeared first on Plugged In.

She’s got a whole host of books. She’s read thousands of them, and she doesn’t show any indication of stopping her passion.

Sometimes, Haley spends a week or two reading fantasy. Other times, she’ll read books based on a location she’s visiting. And sometimes, she asks others for recommendations and reads those suggestions. When she finishes a given book, Pham will give her honest review of it for those who may be interested in reading it as well.

Of course, that’s not all she does. When she’s not reading, Pham vlogs her adventures around the country with her friends and her husband, fellow YouTuber Ryan Trahan.

But chances are, even in those moments, she’ll probably have a book just offscreen.

POSITIVE CONTENT

Pham gives helpful and reasonable reviews of each book she reads. She explains the general plot, and she shares what she liked and disliked about the characters, the author’s writing style, the setting and more. She’ll sometimes read a quote from the book to give her audience a taste of the writing style as well. Viewers may be inspired by Pham’s example to look for books to read, too.

In her reviews, Pham warns viewers about books that contain unsavory elements. Most notably, she tries to avoid books that contain, as she puts it, “spicy” content—that is, books containing sexually explicit passages. And because many romance and fantasy books do have such content, it’s helpful to get that warning from Pham so viewers won’t be surprised by it in a given book.  

Pham is a Christian, and we occasionally see elements of her faith in her videos, including Bible reading and prayer. She often wears a visible cross necklace as well.

We also get plenty of rapid-fire commentary on what’s going on in Pham’s life at any given moment, like, say, the haircut she just got. Those personal elements likely broaden her appeal and help explain why she’s got more than 3.4 million followers.

CONTENT CONCERNS

Some of Pham’s older videos contain light language, including “t-tties” and “crap.” Likewise, God’s name is used in vain in one of those videos.

Though Pham warns about sexual content, viewers won’t always hear warnings for books that contain crude language, affairs or violence.

In one video, Pham and her then-boyfriend, Trahan, answer personal questions, one of which asks whether they’re virgins. And a self-care video contains a clip of Pham taking a bath, though nothing can be seen.

CHANNEL SUMMARY

If you’re looking for a information about a broad spectrum of books, Haley Phammay be able to help you find a new book to read. Her reviews are thoughtful. And because she reads many different genres, chances are you may find a story in which you’d be interested. While some of her older videos have a few content concerns to note, her newer videos tend to stay as clean as a freshly printed novel.

The post Haley Pham appeared first on Plugged In.

Dubbed “Give Me An Answer,” the pair converses with interested students, answering any questions they may have about Christianity and God. These talks, all uploaded onto their YouTube channel, can stretch for hours as students come and go. They use the time to address doubts and provide answers, ultimately in the hope that their conversation will cause students to come to the knowledge of the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

POSITIVE CONTENT

Stuart and Cliffe allow all students to ask whatever questions they want related to Christianity and theology. Likewise, the Knechtles let the student ask multiple follow-up questions to ensure that they get to what’s truly on their hearts. They are also quick to dispel any falsehoods someone might harbor about Christianity.

The duo explains many theological topics: original sin, moral relativism, free will and more. They talk about how being created in the image of God has serious implications on how we should treat others. They provide evidence for the resurrection, both from the Bible and extrabiblical sources. And they follow faulty arguments to their logical conclusions to demonstrate how we should or shouldn’t live.

All of these answers are ultimately meant to challenge skeptics to discover evidence for themselves regarding Christianity in the hope that its divine truth will be revealed to them.

CONTENT CONCERNS

None from Stuart or Cliffe. However, passionate debaters sometimes use crude language, though it’s censored on the channel.

CHANNEL SUMMARY

Give Me An Answer With Stuart & Cliffe Knechtle gives students—Christian or not—a chance to ask questions about theology that they’ve always been curious about, but which they’ve never had a chance to discuss. And for generations living in a world filled with an abundance of information but no clear guide, those answers just may be the help they need to discern the truth from falsehood.

The post Give Me An Answer with Stuart & Cliffe Knechtle appeared first on Plugged In.

In the Greek, Peter uses the word ἀπολογίαν (apologia), which, which appears translated in this verse as “to make a defense.” It’s the word from which we derive “apologetics,” which is used to describe the practice of defending the Christian faith.

Erik Manning, the creator of the YouTube channel Testify, wasn’t always interested in apologetics. But when he attempted to share the gospel with two unbelieving friends, their questions and responses quickly made him realize he couldn’t adequately contend for the faith.

That conversation, according to Manning’s website, encouraged him to study his beliefs. And soon, he not only felt equipped to handle tough questions; he also wasn’t afraid of tackling them head on.

“I aim to help doubters doubt their doubts and equip believers to be able to share their faith in a skeptical culture,” Manning writes.

And if you watch his videos on Testify, you’ll become more equipped to handle difficult questions, too.

POSITIVE CONTENT

Manning’s videos cover a wide range of topics. Some videos address claims by skeptics or Islam against Christianity. Others tackle difficult-to-understand verses. Still more analyze how certain details in the Bible—from historical fragments to specific conversations—bolster the reliability of the book.

Something Manning does particularly well is point out “undesigned coincidences” in the Bible, which happen “when one account of an event leaves out certain information, and another recording of the same event, often unintentionally, provides the missing details.” For instance, in Mark 3:17, we read that the disciples James and John were nicknamed the “Sons of Thunder” without context as to why. But in Luke 9:54-55, we see an instance in which the two brothers offer a quick-tempered retort, providing evidence towards the validity of the nickname.

Videos are heavily researched and provide plenty of quotes from a multitude of sources to bolster Manning’s arguments.

CONTENT CONCERNS

None.

CHANNEL SUMMARY

Testify will help viewers grow confidence in the faith, giving them (and anyone else watching) helpful examples of why the Bible is reliable and Christianity is the truth. Whether you’re searching for the truth or are just wanting to strengthen your apologetical ability, Testify is a helpful spot to stop.

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Martin, who longed to speak truth into the dark world of cults, died in 1989. But his legacy of cult evangelism lives on in people like Pastor Jeff Durbin, the main person behind Apologia Studios.

Even if you aren’t familiar with Durbin, you may be aware of one of Apologia Studios’ many podcasts, the most prominent of which is Cultish, “a program that explores the impact of the cults from a theological, sociological, and psychological perspective,” according to the show’s website. From Jonestown to New Age theology, Cultish (whose episodes can likewise be found on the channel) covers a wide range of subjects to equip its viewers on how to understand and reject false teaching. Likewise, Durbin practices what he preaches, evangelizing to Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, atheists and more.

But information on sects and cults and evangelism directed at their members aren’t the only thing you’ll find on Apologia Studios. The channel likewise offers theological insights into “today’s postmodern society” through Apologia Radio clips. It also heavily advocates for Pro-Life causes.

In summary, Apologia Studios just might be the channel you need to help you learn how to effectively engage with the culture and defend and proclaim the gospel.

POSITIVE CONTENT

Apologia Studios provides lots of insight into how various cults have formed, what their beliefs are and how they differ from biblical Christianity. Oftentimes, the channel will bring in someone who was once a member of said cult to provide firsthand knowledge. Listeners will gain the wisdom they need to grow in their evangelism. For instance, Apologia Studios has a video which stands as a gospel explanation specifically for Mormon believers.

In 2 Timothy 2:25-26, Paul writes that “Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.”Durbin puts this into active practice through his evangelism and debate videos, often spending an hour or more speaking with someone who disagrees with him in that aforementioned hope.

Durbin’s advocacy for preborn children is admirable. He encourages viewers to stand up for the rights of these babies, and he stands strong in this Christian conviction even in the face of emotional opposition.

Most importantly, however, Apologia Studios has embedded a video explaining the gospel on its YouTube home page. Anyone who visits the channel will be first confronted with the world’s most important topic before they see anything else.

CONTENT CONCERNS

Some videos, typically tagged in the title with “warning,” include debates with people who disagree with Christian views and use emotional and heavy language, including the f-word and s-word. A militant atheist wears a shirt that uses “g-dd–n.” A pro-abortion man’s sign uses the p-word to describe female genitalia.

CHANNEL SUMMARY

Durbin and the rest of the Apologia Studios team are chiefly concerned with the preaching of the gospel, whether it’s to someone who has never heard or someone who believes a false version of it. And as we, the viewers, watch Durbin engage in these necessary conversations, we may likewise grow in our confidence and ability to evangelize to a lost and broken world.

The post Apologia Studios appeared first on Plugged In.

Drive down the right street in Waco, Texas, and you just might come face to face with an ostrich.

That’s all thanks to Ben Christie, owner and creator of The Urban Rescue Ranch.

What once started with a small chicken coop at Baylor University has grown into a ranch hosting a veritable zoo—from blue jays, possums and beaver to capybara, kangaroo and ratites.

Christie began posting his videos in 2019, allowing viewers to see just how his ranch has grown and changed throughout the years. In each video, Christie updates viewers on the day-by-day tasks of the ranch and explains a bit about how he takes care of each creature he rehabilitates.

But if you skim through the titles and find them a little … off … don’t worry! Though his videos often have provocative titles that intentionally make fun of clickbait, such as “Why I Ate This Baby Raccoon (Apology Video)” or “Saving My Duck From a 14 Foot Snake (I Died)”, Christie has a wildlife rehabilitation permit and treats his animals well.

POSITIVE CONTENT

The Urban Rescue Ranch is a “prospective wildlife rehab,” taking in and rehabilitating animals that often arrive on the doorstep with injuries or diseases. The ranch fulfills a need to restore wildlife in the area, as, according to the ranch’s website, “there are no large rehabs for 100s of miles.”

Christie strives to be a good steward of the animals placed under his care. He names many of the animals who arrive and frequently checks in with them as they grow strong enough to survive in the wild.

As Christie states in a video celebrating one million subscribers, Christie, as a Christian, felt God calling him to leave his job at a tech company to pursue his animal sanctuary work full-time.

“If you believe in the literal interpretation of the Garden of Eden, then this was our original assigned task,” Christie says. “Literally, just take care of the garden and name the animals.”

It should come as no surprise that The Urban Rescue Ranch’s mission is to “share God’s beautiful design of animals while promoting, improving, and educating on animal rescue/welfare and sustainable farming/rescue practices.” And through his work and YouTube videos, Christie hopes to inspire others to take up homesteading by showing how even someone with a tiny backyard can get started rescuing animals.

CONTENT CONCERNS

The majority of the channel’s concerns come in the form of what you might expect while working on a ranch. Animals poop and vomit, and they occasionally arrive with visible injuries or diseases. And, unfortunately, some of the animals arrive too late and don’t survive. A couple dead animals (such as a chicken) appear in videos. Christie sometimes shows scratches he receives as a result of working with the animals.

The worst language we could hear in any video was “crap.”

CHANNEL SUMMARY

The Urban Rescue Ranch just might motivate you to finally start that chicken coop in your backyard you’ve been thinking about. At the very least, the channel helps to educate viewers about animal rehabilitation. And even if you have no interest in raising any animals, Christie’s channel remains a fun and informative watch for the family.

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How do the views of salvation and the sacraments differ among Protestant denominations?

What are the various views on eschatology—the study of the end times?

These questions and more—far more—are answered by Joshua Lindsey on his channel, Ready to Harvest.

Lindsey’s videos break down denominational differences in as neutral a way as possible. No matter what denomination you identify with, Lindsey will attempt to explain your denomination’s beliefs in such a way that you’d hopefully nod along with him.

And were you to read the comments on his videos left by people from those various denominations, you’d realize that there’s a lot of nodding going on.

POSITIVE CONTENT

Every Christian channel that we’ve reviewed has its own underpinning belief structure. We’ve reviewed channels that are Calvinist or Arminian, Charismatic or Cessationist, Covenantal or Dispensational. And while they all are united in the gospel, a channel’s videos will still be (intentionally or not) influenced by their creators’ varying views on these other issues.

But what makes Ready to Harvest so unique is that Lindsey won’t give you his opinion on the beliefs of each denomination. Instead, he strives for total neutrality so that you, the viewer, can understand the pure, unbiased facts.

Lindsey understands that, on a factual basis, at least one side of a mutually exclusive claim (i.e., paedobaptism versus credobaptism) has to be wrong. However, explaining the positions in a neutral manner will better equip his viewers to come to their own conclusions.

Additionally, in his video, “Four Groups You Might be Misrepresenting,” Lindsey explains another reason why he sticks to this method of explanation.

“By avoiding fairly representing someone and not addressing their strongest arguments, you actually leave a person more vulnerable to those arguments down the line,” he says. In other words, when someone realizes that they’ve been taught merely a strawman of what another denomination believes, they’re only going to wonder why their teacher didn’t want to provide them with the truth.

And if you’re wondering just how accurate Lindsey is, I can confidently state that he accurately described the beliefs of my denomination.

Finally, Lindsey only produces videos heavy on information, light on filler. In his words, “a 15-minute video should have 15 minutes of content.” Viewers can be confident that none of their time will be wasted when they watch Ready to Harvest.

CONTENT CONCERNS

None.

CHANNEL SUMMARY

Lindsey’s channel sticks to the facts. And while that may mean that some viewers will need to study up on some theological terms to keep up, it also means that they can be confident Lindsey’s personal biases won’t leak into the content he creates. If you want to learn more about Christian denominations and their beliefs, you probably won’t find a better channel than Ready to Harvest.

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