Blog

MP wants ‘gang’ videos on YouTube banned

Thursday 1st December 2011

Heidi Alexander MP for Lewisham East has proposed private member’s bill that bans 'gang' videos on YouTube. But is banning videos the best way to address the social problems within gangs?

I agree with a lot of what Heidi Alexander says and although there is some justification for her reasons to want a ban on these videos, the music videos made by gangs often gives these groups the opportunity to have their voice heard, thus sharing their opinion on the things that they see going on around them (unemployment, youth crime, etc). Such an opportunity is not made for these groups (or gangs as they are labelled) whereby they already feel isolated by community and refrain from getting involved in political movements for young people. In addition to that, time spent on making videos by these artists is time spent ‘off the road’ so to speak, in which they are at risk of committing various kind of offences if they were not doing something constructive.

On the other side, the gang culture displayed in music videos on YouTube can come across as glamorising the ‘gang life’; encouraging young people to get involved in the ‘trap’ (hustling for money by illegitimate methods, e.g. drugs, scams, robberies). This comes across as misleading as they fail to show the full on consequences of living that kind of way (criminal record, prison, being killed, decreased chance of employment). The number of music videos gangs are posting up are on the rise and are desensitising young kids who may think it is ‘cool’ or the norm to live life as a gangster. Several gangs uses videos via YouTube to enhance the so called ‘postcode’ wars, where they insult rival gangs or anyone not ‘from the ends’ (the postal section where they live and would do anything to protect, even kill). This is a mentality taken upon by many gang members with the thought that having more ‘beef’ (conflict with others) with other gangs is a cool trend to follow.

Although some music artists associated with gangs do get into the hard knock truth of gang life in a realistic and appropriate manner within their lyrics, the majority tend to make such a life seemingly happy, and push on other young people to go out there and make money by any means necessary.
In terms of banning YouTube videos posted by gangs, this could prove to be a problem. Reasons being every video posted would need to be screened before being put up. There would also need to be specific guidelines on what is a ‘gang’ video is, as a variety of videos can be linked to being from some aspect of gang culture. Although I understand where the MP is coming from, to put this into action and execute the ban effectively would be just short of impossible if YouTube wish to maintain its high quality status as a video sharing website.

Peter Olawaye, Social Media Researcher

More details on the Bill can be found on the Parliament website