Let’s face it: we have all become subject to the whims of the algorithm (now shaped more than ever by AI). Whether on Instagram, X or TikTok, the media we consume is being increasingly force-fed to us, one vertical, 60-second video at a time. Even the storied Google search engine is buckling under the pressure—the tech company’s overhaul now places AI front-and-centre in order to do your job for you. So what does all of this mean for the aspiring lifelong learner?
There’s one platform that, while hardly immune to the effects of the algorithm, is purpose-built to speed you on your educational journey: YouTube. Whether you’re keen to fix that crooked shelf on your wall or talk shop with your local coffee shop’s barista, YouTube’s the place for it.
Granted, it can be a difficult task, navigating the waters of the world’s largest video-sharing platform. One moment, you might find yourself engrossed in your favourite content creator’s latest upload; the next, your entire feed gets upended, just because you pressed play on that one video about raccoons eating hotdogs.
With each thumbnail you click, one more player enters the game, one more ship sets sail and is potentially lost to online currents that don’t care one whit about what you’re actually interested in. As far as the doomscrolling beast of engagement is concerned, those interests may as well not matter.
In fact, ‘thumbnail designer’ is a literal job now. Many creators have even taken to outsourcing the task of shaping the perfect thumbnail to freelance artists, just to ensure their content pops off harder on your feed than that of their peers. But take heart, all is not lost—there are ways out of the digital doldrums.
If you’re interested in forging yourself a new feed—one that nourishes the soul with content that’s both educational and entertaining—all you need to do is put a little effort into typing a few words into your search engine. YouTube’s selling point is the fact that it has something for everyone. Unfortunately, that isn’t enough now; you have to go out of your way to curate a feed that’s worth perusing. It’s all about intention.
On culture and political discourse
Alice Capelle
Oh, to be chronically online. It can be a tall order to get clued into all that’s going on in society, much less to an extent that’s academically rigorous and informed by proper research. So if you ever wondered why Merriam-Webster’s word of 2025 was ‘slop’, check out the channel of French video essayist Alice Capelle. She explores topics like ‘slopification’, and much more—like the nuance of age-gap relationships and the problems inherent to our modern understanding of third spaces—in delightfully edited 20-minute segments tailor-made to add a few more wrinkles to your brain.
Glass Museum
Pressed for time? Look to Glass Museum. The TikToker has recently taken to the ‘Tube to continue her series of bite-sized shorts that cover a litany of subjects under the cultural and political umbrella. She might pack a lot of information in those shorts, but it’s a good thing—there’s simply a lot to unpack with ‘the discourse’. Her content includes a scathing rebuttal of Meta’s exceedingly concerning eyewear, a Jean-Paul Sartre-inspired analysis of the ever-present phenomenon of personality tests and a rousing indictment of mass media’s impact on the average consumer’s mental and emotional state.
More Perfect Union
Sprinkle a dash of labour into your love for politics by adding More Perfect Union to your rotation. The Emmy-winning nonprofit newsroom is investigative journalism at its finest. While its primary focus is the American political sphere, the lessons it offers are a boon for everyone interested in embodying its slogan: “Building power for the working class.” Unsurprisingly, More Perfect Union’s videos address everything from the insidious threat of private equity to the fast-growing impact of AI on our daily lives and the planet we all call home.
On food and its heritage
Sohla and Ham El-Waylly
It’s an undisputed fact that Singapore is one of the preeminent food capitals of the world. For better and for worse, its F&B scene has made dining out a tad too easy—all it takes to get your foodie fix is a quick jaunt to your nearest hawker. What, then, should we do if we want to whip up a meal at home? On this front, food writers Sohla and Ham El-Waylly have your back. Their channel is a veritable goldmine of short- and long-form content for the enterprising home cook, especially those in a rush to feed their family with simple, heartwarming meals.
Saint Cavish, Cadence Gao
Nerds, eat your heart out: Saint Cavish and Cadence Gao are here to give you the full rundown on all-things-Chinese-food. The former breaks down the East Asian cuisine with the specificity of a surgeon’s scalpel and the delivery of your favourite documentarian. The latter, who is the chef proprietor of Shenzhen’s Magpie Restaurant, uploads videos in both Mandarin and English, dissecting Chinese recipes and history in a manner that’s as raw and unfiltered as it is educational.
On just about everything under the sun
The Rest Is Science
On one hand, podcasts continue to be all the rage. On the other hand, you should most definitely avoid the ones that lurk within the manosphere. Thankfully, The Rest Is Science is not a victim of the latter. Hosted by Michael Stevens, best known as the creator of Vsauce, and British mathematician and BBC presenter Hannah Fry, the channel is home to a plethora of endearing, offbeat conversations, unearthing the inner workings of Moroccan tea, how one could go about drinking lava and why feet are much, much weirder than you think.
Hank Green
For those who want their science with a side of humour, look to part-time comedian and full-time science educator Hank Green. Green has a few channels, including one where he and his brother John, the author of popular young adult novel The Fault In Our Stars, discuss a hodgepodge of everything under the sun. The newest series on his channel Complexly, dubbed Ask Hank Anything, is a podcast lover’s paradise, inviting prominent comedians to ask him, well, anything. The result is a hilarious recipe for educational insight and genuine human connection.
