Inclusive gaming channel; some graphic content and language.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Violence & Scariness
a lot
Graphic video games, jump scares, suspenseful short films are all present on this channel. Realistic blood and gore in video games is shown and may be inappropriate for younger viewers. Up close scenes in video games where your character is fighting a bear with an axe, a jump scare in a video game with a creepy giant kids toy, a scary leprechaun in a short animated film.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.
Links to merchandise and sponsored content. Has an entire video dedicated to showcasing his merch and where to buy it. Sponsorships with big gaming companies, video games, mobile games all with instructions on how to buy and/or download. Partners with a custom PC building company and encourages viewers to enter for a chance to win a PC just like Cory's. YouTube is an ad-based platform, so there are likely to be many ads featured.
Language
some
Words like "f--k" and "s--t" are occasionally used. "WTF" is part of the title of a video. Explicit swear words in featured video games are bleeped out of the audio but still shown on screen. Creator jokes around and uses insults when playing games. Insults like "idiot", "dumb." Some "your mom" jokes.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.
Some video games and short films shown in videos reference sex and sexualized women. The creator shares an explicit freestyle rap mentioning how he prefers women, occasionally making suggestive jokes when there's an attractive character in a video game.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.
Occasional moments all taking place in video games and short films where characters are seen taking a smoke break, drinking alcohol. Cory himself doesn't smoke or drink in videos.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.
Creator Cory DeVante Williams (aka CoryxKenshin) is Black. Many videos include Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC), people with disabilities, members of the LGBTQIA+ community in neutral and mostly positive ways. The creator himself is present in every video, collaborates with other YouTubers like Dashie, Berleezy, Poiised who are all BIPOC. Even memes added into Cory's videos are likely representative of his audience. Has taken a stance against YouTube in the past because of racism and favoritism. A video on the channel explains the back and forth the creator had with YouTube. Cory is open and honest in talking about mental health and the toll being a content creator can take on you mental health. That's why he practices taking breaks from creating content, which can be a positive example for tweens and teens.
Righteousness, courage, compassion, honor, and honesty. These are just some of the values Cory thinks he and his community should stand for. Cory has hosted several fundraisers for charity and encourages others to donate. Made a community out of his YouTube following and shows gratitude. Has a genuine appreciation for video games as they are constantly pointing out the impressive graphics, acting, CGI, etc. Cory is also a religious person, often thanking God for his success.
Positive Role Models
some
Cory hosted a live YouTube video where he and his followers raised over $300,000 for access to water in Mali. Strives for righteousness, courage, compassion, honor, and honesty. Shows a real appreciation for the technology/science behind video games which can be a positive influence to teen viewers by exposing them to the career values of video games. Cory will sometimes take breaks from creating videos and has been open in some of his videos that he does this for his own mental health, sharing the toll constantly creating content can take on your mental health.
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that CoryxKenshin is a gaming YouTube channel that features a lot of scary and sometimes violent video games and some strong language. Video games will often times include jump scares and other scary elements. Realistic blood and gore in video games is shown and may be inappropriate for younger viewers. Explicit swear words in video games are cut out of audio, but they still appear in writing on screen. Th creator, Cory, plays all sorts of games like God of War: Ragnarok, Five Nights at Freddy's, Poppy Playtime, Atomic Heart. He also has a weekly video series called "Spooky Scary Sundays" where asks viewers to tweet him scary short films for a shout out. Cory has built a strong positive community in the gaming space on YouTube as a Black creator and often features other creators of color and from the LGBTQ+ community. Righteousness, courage, compassion, honor, and honesty are just some of the values Cory thinks he and his community should stand for. Parents should also know Cory is a religious person, never preaching in videos but often thanking God for his success. Verses from the Bible are a part of every ending to every video on the channel.
I watch CoryxKenshin myself, and he's a great role model. He's caring, helpful, and heavily religious. He puts bible verses in the outro of his videos and mentions God whenever speaking about his success on YouTube. There are some moments where his views can get a little inappropriate. In some of his freestyles, he mentions women twerking and booties. He also makes moaning noises when he eats something good, and in some of the video games that he plays, there's cussing, gore, and violence. He censors inappropriate things shown most of the time. Overall, I believe he's suitable for mature 11-year-olds and older kids.
What’s It About?
CORYXKENSHIN is a YouTuber that's been on the platform since 2009. With over 15 million subscribers, creator Cory DeVante Williams posts videos and hosts lives where he plays video games and gives commentary. He also has a weekly video series called "Spooky Scary Sundays" where he asks viewers to tweet him scary short films for a shout out. Cory is a creator who keeps up with the internet trends like eating hot sauce, diss tracks, and playing trendy games like Among Us, Fortnite and Fall Guys. It's clear Cory has an appreciation for video games as he's always impressed by the graphics, plot, character abilities, etc.
Cory's enthusiastic and silly attitude makes all the difference when you're watching him fight off scary villains in video games. CoryxKenshin's content is engaging and funny, even if you're not a gamer. He offers so much more on his channel, like a weekly series called "Spooky Scary Sundays" where he reacts to short films sent in by viewers and "Try Not To Laugh" challenges or hot sauce eating challenges. YouTube collaborators like Dashie, Berleezy, and Poiised keep the content even more interesting. As a Black gamer, Cory's positive role model and brings representation to the YouTube gaming community, mentioning his experience as a Black creator to relate to his audience. He spreads positive messages like treating others with kindness, he hosts fundraisers for those in need, and stands by his values and morals. Righteousness, courage, compassion, honor, and honesty are just some of the values Cory thinks he and his community should strive for. Yes, there's a lot of advertising and graphic video games, but this channel feels like a community and a breath of fresh air from the more problematic "Let's Play" content out there
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how much violence is in some of the video games played on CoryxKenshin. Do you think violent video games have a psychological effect on teen viewers? If so, what kind of effect do violent games have?
Cory is a very popular Black YouTuber in the gaming space, a category where many of the notable creators are White. How important is the representation of BIPOC creators in the YouTube gaming community? Can you find other gaming creators you like that come from diverse and inclusive backgrounds? Check out our study on representation on YouTube.
This channel has lots of advertisements before and during videos. Discuss the purpose and impact of advertising on tweens and teens so kids can think more critically when these ads are presented to them.
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
suggesting a diversity update.
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By Alina Barrera
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
