YT Identity Survey Results: Just the Numbers

[ubergossen]

It's interesting that there are so many atheists on youtube (I'm one by the way). If you go to most of the anti-atheism videos, they're rated down to one star and the pro-atheism videos are up at four or five stars. How is it that atheists represent maybe 3-5% of the population of the countries who use youtube, yet are a majority here on youtube?

I have a pretty good idea why, but I still think it's very interesting.

[snowfeet]

What is your idea? I suspect there are many factors, but I am curious about what you think.

I am unsure about that 3-5% figure. Where I live (New Zealand), atheists abound. China has a huge secular population. Of course, on the other hand, India is very religious.

[ubergossen]

Yeah but the majority of youtube users are from the United States, where the atheist population is around 5%. In Canada, I think we're around 12%, which is still far lower than the youtube percentage I think.

My guess is that if you polled people just watching the normal video (dog skateboarding etc.) you'd find that the youtube ratio lines up with the country's religious/atheist ratio. However, in any discussion about religion you'll find that there is a majority of atheists.

[ubergossen]

Atheists are often more interested in religion than the religious are. Even the very devout religious aren't so much interested in thinking about their religion as they are in practicing it. It's a little bit pointless for a religious person to come onto youtube and discuss religion with atheists. The atheists are going to launch a barrage of insightful logical arguments against them and the religious going to have nothing to say apart from quoting their "holy" book.

[Hamhark98]

LOL! You think quite highly of the atheist "community". The majority of atheists just say "your a prick" or something along those lines as the argument. Of course there are the Thunderf00t's and the Aronra's but most people are just assholes. That includes me ont he most part.

[ubergossen]

haha yeah I guess so eh. 11 months ago when it says I wrote that comment, my opinion of the youtube atheists was probably a little higher than it is now. I tend not to subscribe to the more asshole atheists such as theamazingatheist. I also try to never flat out insult people in my videos.

[Hamhark98]

I am subscribed to all the asshole atheists including TJ, as you probably already know from that comment I left on your most recent video.

I like flat out insulting people. It is a good way of insulting people flat out.

[madhouse2009]

I would like to add that atheists tend to be the more intellectual, analytical type of people. They simply focus on logic and might even, to an extent, worship it. I say it is worshipped because atheists apply the most worth to it. It is their tendency toward all things logical that draws them to information systems like computers and use wonderful technology like the internet for hours on end. Other, more right-brained individuals would rather go play some music or chill with friends.

[Mycarrox]

Good stuff! Glad ths vid is up on the toobz.

[ogami72]

I think I said our only reason for being alive is to make more life,I know I said you were supercute. Sad more gawdheads didn't take the time to respond.

[snowfeet]

Hi ogami72. I would hsve said something similar about being alive. Thanks for saying I'm supercute. *Shucks*

[amybriana]

i really liked that! I guess i took the survey a little late, but I really appreciated the whole idea. Good stuff! :)

[snowfeet]

Thanks for the participation and encouragement. Results keep trickling in. I think we'll just collect data indefinitely and report on stuff in an ongoing fashion.

[iHeartCoolStuff]

So glad the results are finally up. I was starting to miss you Snowfeet.

[snowfeet]

hi iHeartCoolStuff,

It sure makes me feel good to hear I've been missed. I will do my best not to disappoint. <3

[luckylpf]

I'm really glad I subscribed to you. This video was great.

[msginca]

What have you done with poor websnarf you diabolical female!?!?!?

[CheezMonsterCrazy]

Wow, I was one of only two people my age who responded.

[rowsdowersavesus]

This needed some more religious people :(

[snowfeet]

We tried. I think theists were suspicious of our motives. I wish it weren't so.

[Rhonda9]

That was a cool survey and I was glad to be a part of it. I was the only one my age. We need more females. We need more than one elf! Surprised there were so few females.

[snowfeet]

I, too, had hoped to uncover heaps of chicks lurking in the non-video-making shadows. Alas, we'll need to do some recruiting!

We're glad to have you, Rhonda9. Thanks for your presence and participation.

[Rhonda9]

snowfeet, my great pleasure. It was fun. First, women have to stop reading Cosmopolitan magazine and start thinking a little bit deeper about the world and quit trying to impress men. Brains is what counts. We have to impress that and then we'll get more women. LOL

[msginca]

"Alas, we'll need to do some recruiting!"

That's the very reason I made "Atheist Women"

It's a PSA for all those fence sitting gals out there.

[StevenErnest]

Information, INFORMATION! It's tres mega cool that you two did this, must've been a lotta work!

In future discussions, I'd like to hear various thoughts on why -- as reflected here -- and on YT, and on the intenet in general -- so many people are caucasian? Mainly a cultural thing I suppose.

[TheDude0fLife]

Wow! I need a miracle! Haven't heard that in a while. So are you a Sugar Magnolia or a Scarlet Begonia, depends? You strike me as the latter.

[xy11xy]

Good to see you back snowfeet.

[snowfeet]

Thanks xy11xy. It's good to be back. I look forward to catching up on what you've been doing. :)

[HaleyMary]

Very interesting. Thanks for posting this, snowfeet. :)

[DamNationDiplomat]

Interesting that there was such a disproportionate number of men who answered compared to women. I know it's not something people generally think of, but i'm trans, so i listed as my 'chosen' gender rather than my birth gender. You might want to put transgender as an option should you ever conduct another survey.

[snowfeet]

Thanks for that feedback. That is a worthwhile point which I am sorry not to have considered before making the drop-down options. I'll address that issue in a future video for discussion, to be sure.

[my15minutes]

snowfeet! thanks to you and snarf for this.

having only just come across you, and this survey, i was about to reply to it last week, but got swamped.

i'll be submitting my answers soon, and will most certainly be participating in discussions that follow.

[snowfeet]

Terrific! 'Looking forward to your participation.

[kurtilein3]

27 think that the earth is between 25000 and 10 million years old... that is more than all people that chose something less than 25000 combined.

[CommediaDelArte]

If you make sure you remove all personally identifiable information, you can make the dataset public- then we can all do analysis! Woohoo!

[snowfeet]

I will be making something like that public soon. Thanks for your enthusiasm!

[spiderofdoom]

I'm confused by the "man who supports equal rights" thing.

Isn't that a feminist? Or if people don't think that necessarily defines a feminist, why isn't there also a category for "women who support equal rights"?

I'm just wondering if I've understood the term as its been used in the survey correctly.

[snowfeet]

Hello spiderofdoom

I'm making a video about the feminist question right now. "Men who support equal rights" was added as an option for men who didn't want to use the word "feminist." It never occurred to me to have a similar option for women.

Stay tuned. A new video should be uploaded by the end of the day.

[bubonicnate]

woo hoo! can't wait to see what kinds of discussions this leads to! You two rock!

[EMTRUE]

Lots of work here...thanks!

It was just a bit fast for me.  I had to keep stopping and going back to read it all.

[snowfeet]

Sorry about that. I read very slowly, myself, so I would have to stop the vid constantly. I just didn't want it to go too slow for the swift readers who might lose interest having to wait. I fit 3 songs in the duration of the video, as well. That seemed pretty long. :)

[EMTRUE]

Sorry, that sounded awfully rude of me after all the time and effort put into this.

What I meant to say was - you've done an excellent job!!

[snowfeet]

Not rude at all. I was just long-winded about saying, "I understand."

[philhellenes]

The thing I noticed the most was the amount that "like" the big bang theory. It was a relief. :)

[snowfeet]

Oh yes, the big bang theory is very popular these days, and we YouTubers seem to have our fingers on the pulse of what's hot.

[thequestionmarkofGod]

oh sorry, phoenixshade, NOT billy.

poor billy, he missed it : (

[snowfeet]

and we missed him. : (

[thequestionmarkofGod]

I agree with Billy(although I did give it 5/5) I would like to see the results cross referenced with at minimum, religious/nonreligious, although more specific would also rock!

But you guys worked so hard and I LOVE you for it : )

[snowfeet]

Thanks for your support ?ofGod. Specific comparisons will be coming in future videos, but I think discussions of the long answers (stance on masturbation, supernatural experiences, etc...) will be far more fun than just looking at numbers.

[thequestionmarkofGod]

Yes! OK , Waiting and watching, rubbing my hands together like a small girl saying "goodie, goodie, goodie!".

[Castaa]

Fun!  Man that was a lot of work I bet.

[snowfeet]

It's been a learning curve, that's for sure.

You're no stranger to videos that take a lot of work, my friend!

[U2beOliver]

Cool. Shucks... I thought I was the only one who has answered on this survey...

[snowfeet]

Hiya U2beOliver. Thanks for participating. More videos to come.

[Billy7766]

That's a pretty cool survey, not sure how I missed it :(

[snowfeet]

websnarf, godledngun85, CompanionableIlls, and I all uploaded videos asking for people to take the survey. Maybe you were on a pirate ship at sea at the time. Please participate in discussions and make video responses to the specific topics that will be used in future videos. We'd be honoured to have your contribution. : )

[Billy7766]

well the Fat Pastard is firmly in port now, what with the winter and all, so I'll follow up when you post something :)

[phoenixshade3]

Sorry for ruining the perfect 5-star rating, but I gave it 4.

I'm interested in seeing the majority of these answers cross-referenced with the self-proclaimed religious identities. The results as presented here do not allow any inferences between, say, religious identity and purpose of life.

Thanks for posting this, and I look forward to a little more analysis.

[snowfeet]

I understand your critique, and it is valid. I just wanted to make a video with numbers that felt not divisive in any way. Also, there were very few breakdowns that differentiated in any significant way from identity to identity. It was too small a sample size, perhaps. Or maybe the conclusion is just that we're not so different after all. (Camera pans back, all YTusers are holding hands and singing under a rainbow on a grassy hill...)

[lirpa69]

Thanks for posting this! I was starting to wonder when the results would be tallied! I think I'm one of the 16 who said they don't have any RL friends with the same (non)religious beliefs. lol =(

[snowfeet]

Isn't it interesting to spot yourself in a number like that? Hey, maybe we need to make you some friends with the same (non) religious beliefs. I know where you can find some ; )

[allfyre]

Cmon, make with the regression already!

[AtheistAaron]

LOL, I think I might have been the person who said "music" for my life's purpose, I can't remember.

[imrational]

great! I only wish i had heard of the survey when you were running it. :(

[snowfeet]

The survey is still live, so you could take it and get counted for upcoming stats, but I hope you will participate in discussions under videos I'll be making that focus on specific questions from the survey. Cheers.

[imrational]

Well, I'm subscribed to you... thanks to (crap, I can't remember who referred me, sorry)

So, I'd love to get involved on some of your comment sections.

[snowfeet]

Excellent. Thanks. The next one will be about the question of Judgment. 'Hope to see you there!

[Strangeholm]

Interesting! I guess I'm not as uncommon as I might have thought. Wonderful! Makes one think there might be hope yet.

[snowfeet]

I hope there's hope!

[nadiaTeeze]

There's me one of the 20 humans!

[thequestionmarkofGod]

i think i was human too!

[Boucrate]

I regret not having participated. Cause the result are pretty interesting. Fine monk work. Fiver!

[snowfeet]

Cheers Boucrate! I hope that I'll see you participating in discussion under videos about particular results that will be featured in some upcoming videos. The survey is still live, (I'll put the link in the discussion box), and if we get enough results, I could release some updated charts.

[Jeremias1111]

Interesting, though I would have preferred charts. I´m looking forward to the correlations you found.

[snowfeet]

I know what you're saying about charts. I'm new to MS Excel and, well, the use of statistical data altogether, really. When it seems appropriate, I will make some charts of specific breakdowns. A user named trondreitan has said he would like to do a video of his statistical reading, so stay tuned for that.