Writer and artist James Bridle uncovers a dark, strange corner of the internet, where unknown people or groups on YouTube hack the brains of young children in return for advertising revenue. From "surprise egg" reveals and the "Finger Family Song" to algorithmically created mashups of familiar cartoon characters in violent situations, these videos exploit and terrify young minds -- and they tell us something about where our increasingly data-driven world is headed. "We need to stop thinking about technology as a solution to all of our problems, but think of it as a guide to what those problems actually are, so we can start thinking about them properly and start to address them," Bridle says.

James Bridle: The nightmare videos of children's YouTube -- and what's wrong with the internet today

The nightmare videos of children's YouTube -- and what's wrong with the internet today

30 million views for a video of opening chocolate eggs reveal the unsettling allure of 'surprise egg' videos to children.

Algorithms exploit kids' vulnerabilities, turning YouTube into a landscape where cartoons and violence disturbingly intersect.

The digital realm demands we confront its architecture: not as a panacea but as a mirror reflecting societal issues for us to address.