🍿 Digital content has never been easier to consume. From late-night doomscrolling sessions (we’ve been there), to a neverending onslaught of memes flooding our feeds, our attention spans have — for the lack of a better word — short-circuited, with the average individual’s attention span down to just 8 seconds from 2.5 minutes in 2004. Sometimes to reset our minds, we just need to silence the digital noises, and focus on one thing at a time.

So where do you go when you’re looking for enriching content that won’t have you sighing in boredom? Well, YouTube has no shortage of “edutainment” channels promising just that. Covering everything from the most obscure scientific tidbits to political explainers and real-life what if scenarios, these are our favorite educational — yet still entertaining — YouTube channels.

BITE-SIZED GENERAL KNOWLEDGE-

#1- LIFE NOGGIN: Hosted by the poker-faced yet friendly Blocko — an animated block of… well, blocks — Life Noggin is a channel that answers the most niche of questions about life, from why we’re obsessed with collecting trinkets all the way to tinfoil alien theories (scientifically backed, naturally). The channel is fun, engaging, and above all, educational. Its color-blocking animation style visuals and lively narration make for a binge-worthy experience that’ll have you digging through the channel’s 700+ videos — all equally informative and humorous.

🎞️ AVERAGE RUNTIME: 4 minutes.

📌 WHERE TO START: One of the channel’s most popular episodes, This is How We Knowthe Earth Isn’t Flat, manages to discredit all flat earth theories in a little under four minutes using nothing but common sense, a few scientific laws, and history.

#2- VOX: A channel that exists to “make sense of it all,” Vox is all about dissecting timely issues to make sure you’re always ready to break the ice when conversations start to slow down. The channel has its fair share of both long- and short-form videos depending on the topic at hand. While you won’t find colorful animations, you’ll find a combination of infographics, live shots, and voiceovers that’ll keep you wanting to know more. Vox doesn’t stick to a particular genre, rather covering a little bit of everything, with all topics rigorously researched and scientifically backed.

🎞️ AVERAGE RUNTIME: 20 minutes.

📌 WHERE TO START: In their most popular YouTube video of all time, Here’s WhatHappens To Your Knuckles When You Crack Them, Vox answers the world’s most divisive question: is it safe to crack your knuckles? Though the video is under two minutes long, it’ll give you a quick idea on what to expect from the veteran YouTube channel.

#3- THE INFOGRAPHICS SHOW: Similar in style to Life Noggin, The Infographics Show is exactly what it says on the tin. The channel tackles everything from indulging what-if scenarios and summarizing history to dissecting business cases such as why Blockbuster went bust and Cartoon Network failed. Videos typically run long, so grab a cup of coffee and get comfortable.

🎞️ AVERAGE RUNTIME: 20 minutes.

📌 WHERE TO START: One of the channel’s more popular videos, titled What Does itActually Feel Like to be Shot, answers a curious question we’ve all had at some point. Rather than just dishing out medical facts, the show makes an effort to immerse you in the story — even when the scenario is unpleasant.

#4- HALF AS INTERESTING: Humorously embracing mediocrity, noting that its videos are “half as interesting and almost good enough,” this channel is anything but arbitrary. If you’re in engineering or find yourself particularly interested in the making of things and places, you’ll want to check this channel out. Whether it’s dissecting the logistics of Mt. Everest, explaining why one town in Oklahoma became uninhabitable overnight, or reviewing North Korean smartphones, half as interesting is not at all half bad.

🎞️ AVERAGE RUNTIME: 8 minutes.

📌 WHERE TO START: Have you ever wondered why you rarely see professional photos of the Eiffel tower at night? Well, it’s because it’s illegal to capture them. In Why Photos of the Eiffel Tower at Night are Illegal, the channel dives deep into the laws that surround buildings, how they differ in France, and whether or not that selfie you took in Paris a few years ago could get you in trouble.

FOR THE HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY BUFFS-

#1- ALTERNATEHISTORYHUB: Essentially Marvel’s What If…? but for history aficionados, AlternateHistoryHub looks at a slew of alternative scenarios we could have been living in had one miniscule aspect of history changed. Think what if Lincoln wasn’t shot ? What if nobody lived in the Americas when they were “discovered”? What if Trump was never elected ? Through animated figurines and entertaining narration, the channel takes a deep dive into the unknown, and shows us that perhaps we might be living in the best possible timeline after all.

🎞️ AVERAGE RUNTIME: 25 minutes.

📌 WHERE TO START: In one particularly interesting episode, the channel asks: What ifNapoleon Never Rose to Power? As one of the most influential figures in history, the premise itself is intriguing. In a little under 25 minutes, the video examines what a world without the French emperor’s conquests would look like today.

#2- GEOGRAPHY NOW: Love to travel? Find yourself throwing darts on a map every other day? You’ll definitely want to tune into GeographyNow. Having covered every single country on the UN list, channel host Paul Barbato comprehensively covers every destination on earth, with entire videos dedicated to certain countries, travel guides, intriguing geographical tidbits, and much more.

🎞️ AVERAGE RUNTIME: 20 minutes.

📌 WHERE TO START: What does the world think of Egypt? In Geography Now!Egypt, Barbato enlists the aid of his Egyptian friend Mohab to break some stereotypes and introduce global audiences to what maketh Egypt beyond the Pyramids. From there, you can take yourself on a virtual tour across the world.

PSYCH AND THEN SOME-

#1- PSYCH2GO: Presenting difficult topics and answering uncomfortable questions in a non-intimidating format, Psych2Go makes understanding yourself (and others) an engaging and enjoyable experience. Through light animated videos with soothing narration, the channel seeks to raise awareness on mental health and offer actionable steps to overcome certain disorders or unpleasant phases.

🎞️ AVERAGE RUNTIME: 8 minutes.

📌 WHERE TO START: Perhaps best representing the channel’s ethos, Micro Habits ThatMake You Feel “Off” is a good place to start. The video tackles emotional burnout and what might be adding fuel to the fire. Aside from listing down burnout offenders, the video also suggests a framework for tackling them.

#2- THE SCHOOL OF LIFE: If you’re looking to hear truths no one will have the guts to tell you, look no further than The School of Life. The classic YouTube channel is all about content that helps audiences understand themselves, others, and the world around them. The School of Life offers a calm and soothing audio-visual experience, with subtle animations and slow narration. The channel covers everything from relationships to work from a psychological perspective, and is a great tried and tested substitute for late-night doomscrolling sessions.

🎞️ AVERAGE RUNTIME: 6 minutes.

📌 WHERE TO START: The phrase “touch grass” is often thrown around like an insult, but it’s actually solid advice. In Why a Walk in the Park Can Save Your Life, the channel teaches a valuable lesson: nature can be the antidote to a good chunk of the problems life throws our way.

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