What Would Happen If 10 Boys Were Left To Live Together? | Child Psychology | Absolute Documentaries

Absolute Documentaries brings you this unique documentary about 10 boys who just met and are left alone to live together in a house for 5 days. The house and garden were stocked with food, toys, and everything they needed. The camera crew followed their every move to monitor their behavior without speaking to them unless it was an emergency. The boys were free to leave the house at any point and were allowed to speak to their parents and a physiatrist which they all met prior to this experiment.
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[@M-O-88]

I think it would be so cool to do this again with boys in this generation. It would be intriguing to see how much of a difference there would be!

[@JonathanGillies]

When was this experiment conducted?

[@francolombardo9290]

I'm doing that this week I'm a little older but I'm so excited it's so so Kool I'm living with kids starting at 1030am a whole week of freedom🙂😍🥳 wish me luck

[@ginJorel]

@@JonathanGillies 2002. 20 years ago. kids today probably wouldn't trash the place so fast, instead they'd become insanely bored and not do the experiment in the first place. unless there's ps5s and flatscreens, of course

[@Minniemooz]

@@JonathanGillies this on was 2001, the girls one was 2002

[@xgbxzylo4763]

Well kids aged 11-12 now are in year 7 so they’d just form gangs and start stabbing eachother

[@Metra_90_Video_Productions]

Imagine being the neighbor, and seeing Micheal being tied up in the back yard

[@0-_yikes-_0]

Reading this without watching the entire video yet is really funny

[@gigi9301]

Lord of the Flies, kinda but not really

[@Mr_gold1234]

Micheal screaming for help when he got tided up

[@theyluvvarabella]

@@0-_yikes-_0help me too lol im only 15:40 minutes in

[@XKM265]

He just got put there mike was the crazy guy

[@cathybell2899]

It seems the presence of cameramen may still have tempered their behavior. Occasionally you see one of the boys look at the adult to see if he/she will intervene. It's interesting.

[@squarelime1]

I agree, it'd be interesting (and possibly more accurate) without cameramen however it would pose as a large safety hazard.

[@carloporticos212]

yeah, same thoughts, it would be nice if they just set cameras on the wall or in the ceiling

[@Hello-wy2px]

@@squarelime1just have live surveillance footage with someone watching at all times, just out of the presence of the kids

[@juniorr2646]

Lmao😂

[@aachucko]

As an American, I can't believe no one got knocked in the teeth. Everyone knew a "Michael" growing up...the hyperactive kid that couldn't stand for things NOT to be broken. Result...parents are needed.

[@jessicacady3736]

That’s the problem the kid NEEDS love & attention or they will try and seek it elsewhere most likely being super annoying violent etc etc anything that gets attention wheather it be good or bad…it’s quite sad really

[@mstorgaardnielsen]

It’s more probable that it’s boys that haven’t been given liberty enough to figure out how to self-direct. Then when let loose there’s no parent to keep them in rein.

[@burp3267]

Remember, not all children are the same, some can manage a house on their home

[@Chip_eater48]

wADeR

[@gottesurteil3201]

Peak fatherless behavior.

[@devmaster_4483]

I just want to give Sim a giant hug because he is the most unappreciated boy ever. His parents should be proud of him because of how responsible he is and how mature he is. He cooked, he cleaned for everybody, and when the other boys were out physically fighting with eachother, he was solving a puzzle. Such a good kid

[@tribequest9]

the white guilt is strong with this one.......

[@junhyunds]

Fr I felt so bad for him

[@Anal_Flute]

@@tribequest9 Wtf you talkin about weirdo

[@Anal_Flute]

I want to give Sim, George and Robert a huge hug

[@stevemadden9100]

Nerd

[@fw7103]

Incredible how accurate this is to Lord of the Flies - electing a leader, the creation of two groups, calm before the chaos, a scapegoat, violence and hunting wild animals - and I haven’t even finished the video yet!

[@thethrowawaythatstayed7055]

Right? I’ve just started it and it’s following LOTF so well that I’m worrying for the kid in glasses. We all know what happened to Piggy and his specs! 😂

[@octaviasaturday2957]

Yeah I totally called this being very Lord of the Flies and I wasn’t disappointed 😆

[@Rei_Kagami]

@@thethrowawaythatstayed7055 Who is piggy in This scenario (I say that Micheal is like Piggy while Sim I like Simon or vice versa)

[@melneves2675]

Just Miracle In Tonga do this

[@Plugneedsahug]

i was just thinking that

[@Meerkat000]

You can tell Michael knew he was being singled out and the Monopoly game was him trying to show everyone calmness and that he can be good. I felt him in that moment.

[@u9s0e9r]

Let’s all give a round of applause to his poor camera man 👏

[@jean6872]

Did you hear he quit after one day and had to be replaced?

[@katielblackett]

@@jean6872who said that

[@coleforbes2059]

@@katielblackettthe camera man

[@bstan9637]

I feel sorry for the neighbors who had to endure this madness and the crew that had to clean up the incredible mess.

[@edisone.7212]

Me too 🤭 Poor neighbors!

[@Mariana-ud7dw]

I looked for this comment.

[@patao435]

THAT ISWHAT I SAID

[@Pliko3]

Id just demo half the house, throw it all in the trash

[@GM-qq1wi]

If this happened next door to me my only complaint would be that I would have to buy my own popcorn

[@jpriv.04]

George was so mature and so sweet for taking care of sim while the others were blaming him for not doing anything

[@garygray2078]

While I praise George for trying, he definitely wasn't an angel. He demonstrated aggression on the weaker too.

[@rome.u]

Robert is

[@odst2247]

@@garygray2078because they’re children, can’t expect them, and shouldn’t expect them, to act like angels, especially since angels aren’t even real and if they were, they aren’t even the same species as humans lol

[@LilXancheX]

@@odst2247 and? Angels and humans a both from god

[@Shtave3]

​@@LilXancheX no they're not 🤣🤣

[@LathaTallapalli]

The urge to paint walls must really be primal😭

[@pokegurl123456]

It's funny because that's literally the first thing the girls did on their side of this experiment

[@user-ds2zb4wz8c]

fr

[@Carmerops]

LMAO

[@Battlejuniorsoruce]

Natural insticts

[@pepkoks]

Congrats to George's parents, you can see that they raised him very well.

[@natashalindemeier]

goerge

[@pepkoks]

@@natashalindemeier thanks, i didn't notice 😂

[@jean6872]

God bless your imagination.

[@jonb4020]

@@jean6872 Ah - the vested interest shows. I did wonder earlier!

[@heybro123-u3s]

yeah

[@dr1ppyvr588]

Only me who thinks that George was a good leader, he took care of sim and was making sure he got a good sleep.

[@olwethumbatha1983]

yes.

[@MelMeltalks31]

He was such a sweet kind boy ❤

[@psa722]

George was a good leader. I could see him as CEO of his own company some day.

[@JR_Cargile]

I would have killed for a friend like George as a kid. I was bullied relentlessly and seeing that was so amazing. Kudos to his parents 👏🏼

[@jverd12]

Agree to disagree, I thought they would do so much worse

[@LilXancheX]

I had a friend like that

[@annmurphy8440]

They are beautiful children a credit to their parents Ann Murphy 🇨🇮

[@roma5478]

Same

[@oklywright8886]

Your parents raised you to be a weakling. That’s why you were “bullied” The strong SHOULD rule everything. That’s how a species remains strong & unified. You wouldn’t have been bullied if you had been taught how to stand up for yourself. This is why our generation is filled with weak men.

[@MiloMatahoos133]

I’m a girl but honestly, I would actually hurt someone if they kept coming into the room where I was trying to sleep and purposefully waking me up

[@jessicacady3736]

They did that on the girls episode as well kids will be kids lol

[@Battlejuniorsoruce]

Guys can be jerks but girls are just plain an evil 😭

[@hypernova9363]

I find it so sweet that if one of the boys were ever feeling down in any way, one or more of the other boys would immediately help them

[@pinklori13]

Just finished watching the one with 10 girls I honestly wanted to see the parents reaction of seeing what their kids behave.

[@h.beeeeee4234]

YOOOO ME TOO!!! Smh i don’t judge kids but mannnn some of those girls 🤦🏽‍♀️

[@pinklori13]

@@h.beeeeee4234 yes the only responsible one was the girl who cooked for everyone then she chose to leave I felt bad for her

[@h.beeeeee4234]

@@pinklori13 Me too! I respect that the two girls knew it was time to go. I want to have a nice looooonnnnnggg talk with Sade girls parents Whoaaa 😳 she is some work.

[@pinklori13]

@@h.beeeeee4234 would love to see a "where are they now"

[@h.beeeeee4234]

@@pinklori13 FACTS! Crazy to think these kids are 30 through 33 years old now!

[@jeraii6576]

The parents congratulating them... " you did really well" no, they did not.

[@launyohanina]

Except for Sam

[@dickfitswell8813]

I can’t believe they left a hamster with those kids!

[@SD2gaming343]

@@launyohanina *sim

[@evieguy4096]

Lol

[@alexstekcub]

@@SD2gaming343 *sam

[@LGBTR3naissance]

No doubt I was not the only one thinking about "Lord of the Flies" while watching this documentary. It's an incredible and all too real picture at how kids without adult supervision interact together, with both the pros and cons that come with it. I identified greatly with Sim being a quiet introvert myself. George and Michael certainly were the most admirable of the whole lot. Truly paints a honest image of what happens when responsibility meets frivolousness and kids irrepressible energies are unbridled.

[@braxty8953]

What kid were you

[@LGBTR3naissance]

@@braxty8953 Sort of like Sim but then again a little bit like George and Michael too.

[@Laro123]

Are all northern American boys like this?

[@LGBTR3naissance]

@@Laro123 I wouldn't say all of them.

[@Verwaygen]

Wouldn't say "kids". They did the same experiment with girls. Watch the documentary. The differences are really interesting...

[@robLV]

Interesting that the boys sensed George would be an effective leader and it turns out he was. Lots of EI in that kid. I wonder if knowing the other boys entrusted him as the leader affected how he otherwise would have behaved. Was his leadership natural, or more performative? He does seem more mature psychologically than most of the others.

[@Agent-Nero]

I like how George is like the big brother of everyone, he even checks if the other boys are okay

[@antonhornegaard2731]

i find that then someone becomes a leader in someway they often automaticaly become more mature and caring especially if they where chosen

[@arttujarvinen568]

​@@antonhornegaard2731i agree. In my own experience, responsibility and accountability is automatically assumed by those upon which it is thrust.

[@jean6872]

Goerge was utterly useless and did not prevent the decline into gangs and hostility.

[@Agent-Nero]

@@jean6872 dam bro you don’t gotta be so heated about it

[@Dragonaiis]

@@jean6872 he's a kid

[@andrewsinclair7159]

It's strange the way boys seem to punish each other for displaying maturity.

[@emolawolf]

Because in their minds they connect maturity to adults and end of fun, being responsible for what they do. That's also way it's so common for boys to relentlessly bully girls, because girls tend to be calmer, and even just that's is a sign of "maturity" for boys. For the same reason, disabled (mentally or physically or both) children will always be their first targets of bullying, no matter what. It's truly scary and disgusting.

[@andrewsinclair7159]

@@emolawolf I have autism, so I know that last bit firsthand.

[@leopinty5103]

@ MC Shorts ok?

[@Movs.]

Yes it's strange, yet males never seem to change the behavior and need to be taught extensively to not act this way. While the girls just act downright normal and don't need a hierarchy for them to not turn into apes

[@Harry-fk5of]

And a lot of men still do

[@SliochdnahEireann]

At the end when you see certain parents, smiling, laughing and being jocular at the state of the house and the behaviour of their sons, well, you needn’t wonder why some of those boys are the way that they are.

[@danielo3158]

Boys went there to have fun, not to do chores 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@loveyourself2254]

@@danielo3158boys went there to be tested on basically and see how they would respond with no parent no rules having fun is possible but why wreck the house bsfr 💀 these boys were not raised that well…

[@Battlejuniorsoruce]

So my family is why I'm so non social and would perfer not to go out and take 0 pics

[@SliochdnahEireann]

@@Battlejuniorsoruce I can only speak from my personal experience in that regard. My social anxiety disorder is a culmination of several factors such as genetics and long-term childhood trauma. I don’t have any specific conditions that cause me distress when photos of me are taken. The only times I’ve felt that way was/is when self-esteem issues are present. I have friends that have various mental health challenges yet conversely were raised within somewhat stable and supportive family environments. Adverse behaviour is a symptom of many factors. And concerning the subject of my initial comment, some forms of childhood antisocial behaviour can be attributed to the examples set by parents, siblings or other family members or friends. But this is a single scenario in an ocean of countless scenarios. But anyways, I hope that you have a good support network and that you’re on a positive path forward, and that life in general is kind to you. ✌️

[@Battlejuniorsoruce]

@@SliochdnahEireann Well I was bullied for all of primary school until grade 6 a lil.. And my family is kinda all over the place really I'm not gonna get in to much detail. But I have been isolated most of my childhood.When I found out I had Autism I was like that explains a lot. I still haven't told anyone in person yet ,but a friend. I just wish I knew way back bec I felt like smt was wrong with me,Literally most of wishes was to be ''Normal''

[@Emnms68]

I think it would be interesting to note which of the boys were only children, older siblings, younger siblings, etc. and see how that may have affected how they behaved in terms of responsibility in the house.

[@tinaadcock-thomas8671]

Why interested in birth order of the boys and not the girls? Looking for excuses? As a mom of boys and coming from an all-girl household, the dynamic revealed in “Girls Alone: A Study” and “Boys Alone: A Study” isn’t surprising at all!

[@Emnms68]

@@tinaadcock-thomas8671 because this video is about the boys. I hadn’t seen the one with the girls at that point, either.

[@loveyourself2254]

@@tinaadcock-thomas8671boys and girls are very different but both should know how to take care of themselves and at this age at least know how make a meal, hygiene and knowledge about basic chores. These boys didn’t do any of that and that isn’t good tho I agree boy and girls are different they should know the same knowledge

[@BMarie774]

What I find even more interesting is how my opinions of these boys have changed over the years. As a teenager I thought they were being so stupid at times. So mean, or so uncontrolled. Now as an adult, I really can recognize a lot more emotions here. Homesickness, peer pressure, wanting to fit in, conflict with power dynamics. The older I get the more clear things regarding this experiment become.

[@josiemccann5688]

I totally agree with this. I watched this when I first came out, years ago, and watching it back now is very eye opening

[@josiemccann5688]

@@DNAmaster10 it's just amazing how quickly humans revert back to survival instincts/natural behaviour that we would have adopted to survive. I think something like this would be very interesting to study, maybe if the same experiment was carried out now, would the same outcomes occur?

[@Movs.]

@@josiemccann5688 ..You mean males not humans. The girls weren't acting like animals and trying to kill a poor little hedgehog

[@jjba3571]

@@Movs. i know that right, that was got cold chivers, they tried to k1ll an inocent animal, thats not normal, the girls were more on the psichological violence againts each other (aka bulling) here the boys were both

[@PikaChu-fy5pt]

Watch or read 'Lord of the Flies' I doubt any of those boys in the house had. Uncanny how this played out sort of like the story though. Thankfully nobody in the house died however.

[@Jack-1595]

George was the best one, looking out for Sim and Micheal when the rest of the group was against them. I hope he is doing well.

[@edinak5805]

Michael was the most distractive of all of them.

[@maguiredoppleganger9045]

I think you got that wrong, Michael is the most chaos

[@Darwaxion]

Michael was evil

[@kianaychapman]

i love how george was being helpful and supportive with sim and just nice to everyone

[@user-kh9yd7ru3w]

Agreed 😊

[@Gusburg]

I felt so sad watching the final moments. You could tell who was disciplined at home and who wasn't. Felt bad for some of them who had to endure this mayhem at the end

[@nicolab2075]

Interesting that you specify discipline as the crucial factor

[@KnotZMilky]

@@melaenahurtghun1756i agree definitely not a good sign

[@theadaptationstationmaster]

@@melaenahurtghun1756 Let's not be too quick to judge. I imagine a number of them wanted to yell at their boys but didn't want to do so on TV with everyone watching. I thought I sensed some veiled anger in the questions they asked at the end and in their facial expressions. After watching footage of the experiment, it's likely many of them were just relieved their sons hadn't been killed. Of course, some of the boys' misbehavior could be the result of bad parenting too. I just wouldn't want to say that for sure based only on this footage.

[@javiannahmcbride390]

Dude the other boys for hours kept the quiet room awake and they didn't even think of doing anything bad but shaking some boxes of puzzles. Those were obviously the "good" boys

[@javiannahmcbride390]

They should have made the parents walk through the house after their kids

[@jayduc]

Camera crew definitely affects the experiment, if it was done again today, it would be interesting (as many comments suggest, and I agree) With body mics and remote cameras and hidden cameras it would be interesting to see a group of youths (guys or girls) How they act, react, and live without ``authority figures`` for a week. Does wifi and social media change the core behavior of young people without parental rule?

[@bradicalss6780]

Nah they can’t have the kids actually fighting and hurting each other

[@blackqweenmars]

Fr they should do one with the boys don’t know they’re being recorded and there were hidden cameras, and people very close by watching them through the cameras

[@mrduckling1995]

If electronics are allowed it's probably gonna be game nights I'm telling you kids these days are more behaved then in the 2000s

[@tiggytiger171]

I think this experiment would be weirdly inappropriate if done today. Kids these days are weird man, and I expect without parental supervision they’d try anything.

[@jaded9436]

@@blackqweenmars Secretly recording young kids isn't a path to head down.

[@Mysterious_robloxian]

This is why I love old documentaries, this is golden tv ngl 🤠

[@KC_Eden]

I would LOVE to see a follow up of how the boys are doing now! 💯

[@Blurb111]

Sim was an amazing kid, I hope he’s doing well in life. Responsible, calm, and he always thinks before speaking.

[@86kickass]

Doesn’t have much assertiveness or charisma but that’s not his role I guess

[@Darwaxion]

@@86kickasshe doesnt have to. No boy has to have a charisma or assertiveness

[@peter7582]

Of course you don't have to, but your life will suck

[@lilacaffirmations8977]

@@86kickass mind you, these are CHILDREN, they're still learning about life.

[@rolfen]

@@peter7582 and that's would be... your fault because you are "lacking" something? Thanks for nothing.

[@malialutu7857]

George and Michael was so sweet to watch over Sim so he can get some sleep. And George trying to look after Sim like a big brother. Omg this is just too heartwarming 🥺

[@bangdihoon]

Michael is the chaos one

[@Darwaxion]

I hated Michael, he was evil

[@bowwowrapha7790]

@@Darwaxion Try not to be so judgementally stupid!!

[@ZenoDiac]

George is always concerned when someone feels bad.❤

[@PsRohrbaugh]

What a lucky opportunity. Every youth should have this experience to figure out the importance of responsibilities.

[@gamingepic10]

Nice dono

[@jcfreak2007]

This is proof that preteens and teens still need parenting.

[@richardcogbill6791]

Some pre-teens still need a lot of parenting. Others have been raised up having learned responsibility from an early age.

[@jcfreak2007]

@@richardcogbill6791 But they're still children.

[@food7479]

Uh, no sorry. This means that, if you don't give kids any rules to follow, they will act like monkeys. Now lets assume you give them proper rules, training on cooking/chores and repeat that experiment, what would the outcome be like? If it was identical, then you would be right.

[@rosieflamingo2287]

@@food7479 they did get training- at least for cooking and I'm assuming their parents would have taught them how to do chores beforehand

[@danielamalfavon890]

Watch the girls it’s the complete opposite

[@nintendo_reviews4149]

I respect the mums who actually said that they where bad if there kids where bad instead of congratulating them

[@zonanimz9990]

When the kids started acting more like parents to each other was actually pretty interesting. How the first day when realizing the new freedom they had, and then the second day putting limits on each other in a way. I wonder how some kids around their age would do today 🧐

[@altagato]

It still turns into proper chaos after cause their instincts are just that without caregivers

[@1stsharkb8]

A fine example of exactly why kids need structure, boundaries, and discipline!!! None of us would like to think our kids would act like this but I think it's pretty normal for them to go wild if left with no rules. Now, the ones who were trying to torture hedgehogs fall into a separate category.

[@joebaird5874]

Their parents should be made to go in and clean it up after their disrespectful kids and bring them in with them too. Otherwise no consequences and no lesson learned.

[@caj4562]

I think it really depends on the kids, they have obviously had very little in the way of impact, expression or responsibility until that point. Do it with kids from a farming community, or a commune and see the differences.

[@graysontankersley3720]

@@joebaird5874that wasn’t the point of the experiment. These kids will have obvious boundaries set back home. No need for punishment because they didn’t break any rules because there were none set for them in the home.

[@vorpal22]

The problem is that all their needs were provided, so they had absolutely nothing to do but feel pent up and take out those feelings through destruction and aggression. If they had to do something to meet their own needs in a meaningful way, they may have channelled their energy into that instead of having no productive outlet for it. Also, the fact that there were adults very much present and watching likely made them want to show off as a challenge to those adults, to see how far they could push the boundaries until someone felt that they had to step in. You see this same type of behaviour but at a less childish level, for example, amongst rich trust fund adults who want for nothing and have no obligations. I know that I get pent up and feel irritated when I have no responsibilities, especially when others are around and hindering me from channelling myself into some sort of productivity.

[@jean6872]

@@graysontankersley3720 It was a pointless experiment which cannot be justified. I cannot credit that there was even a medical doctor with psychiatric credential involved in this hooliganism.

[@abrajahmoua8232]

Robert is the type of friend I would want. Standing up to the authorities to protect his cremates

[@juliwny7031]

Sim's parents should be very proud of him.

[@tej9027]

Quiet gentleman

[@js06v]

he's just indian lol

[@tej9027]

@@js06v what does that have to do with indian ?

[@user-gt5me3nf6b]

@@tej9027 they are good people

[@js06v]

@@tej9027 upbringing tends to be more courteous for certain asian ethnicities on average

[@joannesmith3991]

the kid who did the cooking bless him he tried sooo much

[@XKM265]

"Youve got dandruff mate" killed me💀💀💀💀

[@tyler_krause2246]

George is such a good kid the way he looked after everyone

[@SPZ909]

It's a shame there was never a proper follow up with any of these boys. They are now in their 30s and some of them likely have kids of their own. I'd like to see their reaction to this doc.

[@essp3688]

Do you know when this documentary was made?

[@SPZ909]

@@essp3688 Released in 2002.

[@SPZ909]

@@essp3688 Released in 2002.

[@Rabid9288]

2001@@essp3688

[@user-vj5qr7pp9q]

​@@essp3688 in 2001

[@Pinkflare984]

Insane that these kids are 34&33 now

[@ThatOneRamdomGuy]

Realy?

[@Workerforhimalways]

Jesus is the only way to salvation ❤❤❤

[@tytn9978]

i remember reading "Lord of the Flies" in Grade 9 English and being totally awed by the narrative. This "experiment" certainly reminds me of that book.

[@junehazel7946]

this is literally restoring my faith in humanity. love kids. edit: I'm now 25 minutes in. nevermind

[@surelyashley5726]

Hahaha 😂

[@blackqweenmars]

Lolol

[@blessedbythebest1003]

😂😂😂😂

[@SaroWithin]

Lmao 😂

[@l.i.l.i.r.e.a.d.s.1231]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@someone-cool1]

George was probably one of the nicest as he was trying to help out, I wonder where they are today in life..

[@Account-br9kc]

him and Robert

[@TheTenaciousEunuch]

I can't wait to see Michael's true crime documentary

[@GhastlyCretin]

Lol. He really does seem like a problem.

[@aliveandhearty7321]

In a way i felt abused at the end. I watched an entire lord of the flies type show of uncivilized behaviour (which i absolutely expected when kids are left without restraint) and got no debriefing at the end. I remain unsure what the "experiment" was intended to prove and what was the conclusion and therein lies my dissatisfaction

[@mmnyla]

they made another one with girls. these docs really show the difference in childrearing. it reminds me of the saying "girls are raised, boys are loved." the boys look almost incapable of civilization compared to the girls due to lack of domestic skills. only one girl was a problem and I immediately thought she has ADHD or has mainly brothers the whole time.

[@EGiebler]

I am currently doing modern day research paper on LOF and this is some of my evidence

[@altagato]

Yes and like why is there no exit interviews or results or discussion etc?? I want to know the psychological papers written from this. What the parents and children thot etc etc

[@sologemeni]

i completely, completely agree. there was no conclusion to the show and it felt very anticlimactic. leaves me with questions

[@theadaptationstationmaster]

I'm cynically inclined to believe they weren't really interested in learning anything from this "experiment." They just knew that throwing a bunch of kids together in a house for a week with little supervision would draw a lot of viewers. Everyone loves watching a good disaster. Since you and I both watched this, I guess it worked.

[@combustablebaja]

George helping Sim is so cute

[@jceliax]

for real 😭

[@spiderqaz]

Like a older brother and a true leader

[@lucifermorningstar7316]

I feel bad for the people that have to clean their mess up like clean the floors, repaint the walls, clean the windows and much more. I really hope the clean up crew gets paid well. Also i would love to see all the boys back together and do the same thing now and see the differences that change over the years and how matured they have got now.

[@lucifermorningstar7316]

And could i join?

[@RAMB0ZZ]

@@lucifermorningstar7316 what 💀

[@wewhoareabouttodiesaluteyo9303]

I do not think men ever really change. It has to be instilled from young age. With men, it goes both ways. With women, it CAN go both ways, but less of a chance.

[@user-gt5me3nf6b]

@@wewhoareabouttodiesaluteyo9303 nah they would be in their 30s and ion think they would draw on the walls

[@Graceful_Lizard_SMP]

@@user-gt5me3nf6b they are going to knock it over after

[@steelcarrot]

this is one of the greatest videos of all time on youtube and i rewatch it every few years

[@Joshie01]

"lets go trash the place a bit more" got me lol😂🤣

[@tainoroyal6585]

People should watch this before having kids. The ones trying to kill the hedgehog are just evil

[@hairyballs089]

Kids wanting to kill animals is a natural behavior believe it or not.

[@babyroxasman]

Free birth control XD

[@splatpoon6007]

Do u eat meat?

[@babyroxasman]

@@splatpoon6007 Do you eat hedgehog?

[@MelMeltalks31]

@@splatpoon6007 no I’m vegan like some of the little boys were vegetarian

[@bugbaker503]

I wonder how their parents felt seeing them act this way.

[@tamzenkarma]

Horrified

[@fionasmom6254]

@@tamzenkarma They didn't seem to be nearly as horrified as they should have been.

[@jessicacady3736]

They are young boys how should they have acted??🤭🤭🤔🤔🤔 that’s why they say if u dnt run a boys energy out they will have the place brought down by noon 🤭🤭🥰

[@loveyourself2254]

@@jessicacady3736young buys should know better and not wreck the house 💀 boys should not act this way it genuinely not cool

[@MokuTom]

the cheesegrating the polystyrene part was hilarious.. absolute carnage, what a weird and insightful video. like lord of the flies but without the danger.

[@jeffporferresuena4243]

Glad i was raised to be more independent ,cooking for me and my brother and learning how to clean thank you mom and dad

[@alunday1991]

I know exactly how Robert is feeling on the last day and he handled it so gracefully, I’d have lost it.

[@stonekalten]

I would like to see this experiment with boys from different countries/cultures. The result of such experiments would speak volumes about the culture at large.

[@guywhocanFu]

Yeah,that going to great

[@Jose_diazlife]

AGREED

[@qrcodeguy5669]

Ya Americans would not end well 😂

[@evelynaaspidov123]

Not exactly. Each child’s temperament and upbringing makes a huge difference on the child. So you can’t base the whole culture on a single child. The way I choose to raise my child is very difference compared to my neighbor or his classmates.

[@CB-rv2lj]

@@qrcodeguy5669 you think so? how so. go in depth into that thought.

[@Letsgobrandon.2024]

45:20 OMG the cheese grater had me laughing out loud 🤣🤣🤣

[@kymberlydawn1445]

I am interested in an interview with the parents. Especially the difference between the upbringing of each boy.

[@dopeymark]

I can guarantee that if I was put in that situation when I was 12, I would have been in a fight within the first few days. The third time someone walked into the quiet (my) bedroom, it would have been on. I sure hope there were consequences from the parents.

[@thethrowawaythatstayed7055]

I would have done absolutely awfully, or thrived and had an incredible time. No in between at all haha.

[@Dion_Mustard]

violence solves nowt m8

[@melissamcclain34]

Doubtful the parents did anything

[@bignip7214]

Its a social experiment then you're going to punish them for being as they are? They need to see these actions and work to fix them not punish.

[@louwinters508]

Why should there be consequences. Their parents put them in this situation.

[@taraott03]

Good GOD I was hoping and praying they’d run out to their parents and then they’d all be like “jokes on you, we ain’t leaving until you clean this place up”. The grating of the styrofoam did it for me 😵‍💫

[@nlb1138]

would have been amazing if they made them clean up

[@Tendie-fh1zo]

Npcs

[@brodhey]

I love the idea but did you see their cleaning techniques lol? Not sure they would have been able to tackle it even with guidance.

[@junkequation]

Not having watched much of this yet, my experience from childhood makes me suspect a group of boys living together without supervision will turn out much like Lord of the Flies. I lived in a neighborhood surrounded by woods. When the boys in that neighborhood were in school, in public, in polite society, we got along just fine. Out in the woods, though, it was something different. There were factions. I got along with my immediate friends who lived on the same street, but anyone else we encountered out there was an enemy. If we wanted to build anything out there--a bridge, a fort, a bike ramp, we'd have to hide it really well. Because if anyone else came along, they'd destroy it. If we met with another group, we'd fight. I saw weird stuff out there, too. Someone had killed birds and hung their disembodied heads from a bush using string. Several disemboweled cats. It makes me think humans are innately pretty vicious creatures. We've had to, over millenia, develop religions and societies to tame our human nature and prevent us from ripping each other apart completely. Get us away from that even momentarily, and the innate tendency towards violence come right back out. edit: finished the video. The presence of adult camera crews, a psychologist on demand, etc, significantly tamed their behavior in my opinion. Left truly unsupervised, i think the disagreements would have led to escalating physical violence.

[@vonnie0_0]

Bird corpses? Disemboweled cats? There’s some correlation between animal abuse and psychopathy, could be a high chance that a young sociopath or psychopath was doing that.

[@philipjacobs878]

I agree and it’s even confirmed in the part when they were trying to hurt the hedgehog they found in the bush. The narrator said that the camera crew had to intervene.

[@lancewalker2595]

If they were placed in a state of nature, like in Lord of the Flies, we would have observed sheer order, all the chaos witnessed here would be needless to produce in nature because nature IS chaos; the destruction that we observe in this context is a product of boredom... society creates BOREDOM, it's is precisely the condition of civilization that generates the need to generate chaos. Your misanthropic misunderstanding of human nature is misplaced, you have the complete opposite of the correct impression... you and William Golding, who was a SCHOOL TEACHER, hence the reason why he ignorantly projected what he observed in the classroom onto boys in literally the opposite condition, he imposed boredom on children and yet was surprised when they responded by re-imposing chaos (which goes to show you just how ignorant of human nature Golding was).

[@bridgieoh9326]

The stuff a male friend of a friend told me he and his male friends did in their club house in the woods was very much like Lord of the Flies. This was middle school to early HS ages. They were horrible to the less popular or younger kids they dragged down there. Painful or traumatic initiation stuff. His view was that times were different back then, kids were scared to tell on them so they got away with alot. This would have been the early to mid 1970s.

[@lancewalker2595]

@@bridgieoh9326 That's because the male psyche abhors the stagnation of a puerile environment, boys require contact with the physical boundaries of reality... our fatalistic, and thoroughly empty culture denies them that contact and they respond by transgressing the arbitrary moral injunctions people such as yourself take for granted.

[@vorpal22]

I'm quite shocked by all the people saying that they needed discipline. I don't think they needed discipline: they needed responsibility and self-accountability. You have ten boys here at an age where they haven't learned to regulate their emotions well, put into a situation where all their needs are met and they are full of energy. How do you expect them to channel that energy? They get pent up, and then that manifests as irritability which turns into destruction, which is totally unsurprising. I think if the experiment had been longer (say 10 days), the boys were not automatically given everything they needed, and there were not adults around for them to put on a show and challenge the adults constantly to see how far they could push boundaries until the adults had to finally step in, the outcome might have been quite different. If you look at young adults, for example, who are trust fund children, they have a lot of emotion, time, and energy, and very little impulse to use it productively. I know that when I have no responsibilities, I start to feel pent up as well, and then irritable, especially if there are other people around that are feeding off each other and preventing me from directing my energy into something productive. In that sense, while we did see some interesting behaviours emerge, I think that the experiment was flawed and set up for more disaster than anything else from the onset. I'm really not surprised at the outcome.

[@pong9000]

It was staged for disaster, I agree. What's with the large brushes and copious paint on hand?

[@gigimarie3989]

Those poor hedgehogs! 😓Thank goodness for the film crew stepping in to stop this deviant behavior. 💗

[@Thyph3n__69]

I killed lots as a kid it was boredom

[@RyanMcCannYT]

@@Thyph3n__69 ……

[@pepagaclap2504]

@@Thyph3n__69 Based

[@ka7385]

Just hedgehogs

[@Lylahmyluv]

@@Thyph3n__69 literally the start of serial killer💀💀get help

[@BMarie774]

I’ve watched these both so many times. I wish they’d do this again!

[@blessedbythebest1003]

In America, India, Mexico different countries!

[@Kelbie.Sturgis]

@@blessedbythebest1003 That would be cool id like to see how kids from different countries & cultures would respond.

[@kurenno477]

Is there a follow up doc on the families and the boys and the owners of the house?

[@KnotZMilky]

The differences with the kids reflect their parents I felt bad for the kids that were quiet and actually tried to help

[@AnastasiaIvanova03]

I really hope that there was someone who watched back the footage with each boy and helped them process their actions...

[@Whatisthis438]

I feel bad for that one kid who was actually being responsible and cooking and cleaning while the others were acting like savages

[@Kagiso-ui5bp]

nice documentary

[@HeisenbergPlayZ9]

George was a great leader. He never imposed leadership even when he was deemed as one. He also helped Sim.

[@SunnyMoonProductions]

It's interesting to ponder why many of them are willing to display bad behaviors, but not cursing.

[@user-uq3kc2si2b]

I feel like British people don’t cuss much.

[@Shakespeareslittlepoet]

@@user-uq3kc2si2bseriously 😭😭😭

[@shellitench6272]

This is a true case study for why children need structure and discipline in their lives

[@EEzrah100]

Thank you for addressing the raising of these boys outside of this experiment. I am fascinated that basically no other comments here mention the parents style in raising their boy and how that influences their cleanliness, leadership roles, kindness and bullying habits. I would like to watch a follow up study interviewing each of their parents.

[@amandadamatta_]

The girls did amazing though

[@kdizzle901]

There is a female one too

[@yogabearmobil]

There are many in this comment section that says that boys need structure…. They will build structure if they are given enough freedom to realise that they need structure… And they will…..

[@IWillHaveThePastaThanks]

Or is it the opposite? We don’t know about the structure and discipline these boys had at home. It could well have been effective and, being relieved of it, the boys “made the most of it” or “let loose.” And, if a counter from living in well-structured and disciplined families, then the abreaction will be even greater.

[@jonb4020]

A fascinating experiment. Good luck to all the kids and families involved. It would be a good idea to do a similar thing but in a different, basic, country environment, with no toys and gadgets so that the kids would have to do things that kids did in earlier epochs. Also - how would a similar group of girls behave?

[@JediFight]

I would be so ashamed of my child if they participated in the destructive behavior.

[@amberhyland]

I'm soooo torn watching this - it's fascinating. I oscillated between having a giggle at the childish ridiculousness of it all and pure shock/horror by the end of the sheer violence and destruction. My heart broke for Robert, he was so tired the poor thing. Really makes me wonder to what extent parenting is a factor on unmonitored behaviour. I could see some of the parents genuinely shocked at the behaviour.

[@DaysAreForgottenBaby]

And I could see a lot of the parents saying “you did great sweetheart“ 🙄

[@MokuTom]

the cheesegrating the polystyrene sent me over the edge.. it was hilarious but wow, they really found the pinacle of making a mess on that last day.

[@Ithenna]

@@MokuTom Honestly I found that tame compared to all the rest of the stuff they absolutely wrecked. Nothing a vacuum couldn't fix in a short time. But the food all over the floor, and broken chairs, games, etc. - like can you imagine how everything must've stunk, and the repair bill for all the damages? I'm almost surprised they didn't break a window by the end of it.

[@vorpal22]

@@IthennaThat was my thought, too... I was surprised that they hadn't smashed a window or two. I think the problems with the experiment were: 1. There was absolutely no structure. The boys were completely bored because all of their needs were supplied to them. If the experiment had been longer and they had to somehow do something to meet their needs, then I bet they would likely not have been so incredibly bored, pent up, and destructive. 2. The presence of adults there in the form of camerapeople. They probably wanted to do some "showing off" for the adults watching, which may have been eliminated if they had truly thought they were on their own.

[@Ithenna]

@@vorpal22 I feel like the biggest problem was that they couldn't really enforce anything to counter bad behavior. They knew they were stuck with whoever was there, and if one or more people was being destructive, then they just gave up trying because they felt like anything they did was a wasted effort, even if they didn't like the scene they were in. The second problem, as you mentioned, was the time frame, because they felt like they could survive long enough with the chaos to avoid trying despite the fact that they felt things were hopeless. Boredom really only came as a side effect of their lack of effort, and hence all the aforementioned factors led to embracing the destruction rather than trying to do anything about it. As for the camera crew presence... I think that was a mixed result of either showing off for those who were naturally destructive and bored to begin with, or else they served as a reminder for the need for structure and need for help with their obvious problems. Many of them clearly wanted adult help, but all of them were also too committed to completing their stay without adults to go home. All but one kid called for a meeting with the psychologist. The one kid later on clearly knew everything was a total disaster, because he talked to the cameraman about it despite knowing he wouldn't be supplied with any help, and the talk with the psychologist unfortunately only solidified the problem that they were stuck with each other and no help would come. In my opinion, that comment to the cameraman was basically an indirect cry for help. What I would be more curious about is what they would do if the same kids were told that they could return again to the same experiment in a month. Would they say no? Would they say yes and strategize how to tackle the problems they had the first time? Would they just look at it like another few days to totally wreak havoc because they actually enjoyed the unsupervised chaos? I would've liked a post interview to see what these kids thought of the whole thing, and if they learned anything from it.

[@bec472]

This taught me a lot about how adults behave and why

[@Moiaija]

Well how they behave and why?

[@bobSeigar]

@@Moiaija You may have put a question mark, but that was not a question.

[@Moiaija]

@@bobSeigarI asked what this video taught him of how adults behave and why

[@LilXancheX]

Why?

[@blessedbythebest1003]

Yup. Because they started here

[@MsNeuroSpicEE]

There’s a difference between assertive and aggressive. Neither have a bearing on charisma. I saw some destructive, undisciplined, entitled children mixed in with some average boys, and some quieter, meek, passive children. As a mom of boys I thought it was an interesting experiment although the mom in me wants the boys to clean it up 😂 honestly if your parents don’t hold you accountable or make you clean up your messes large or small a one time clean will change nothing anyway. I wonder if Michael had ADHD. In the end they were young and so much can change as they age. No good or bad just different kinds of boys all together. Very interesting

[@CapsuleClubssss]

Y’all should bring the boys back to another house to do the same exact thing just to see how much they have left they’re past times and became more mature

[@uvesius]

They would all be in their mid 30s by now

[@sef5224]

i remember watching this years ago from a different channel and yt recommended blessed me with this gem once again

[@LordOfElderon]

its interesting that michael started off wanting to be away from the group in the tent. he also started off reading a comic book. i honestly think he was just trying to fit in when he was being destructive, but deep down wanted to be on his own/in the quiet group.

[@noseinyosneakers]

Interesting, I think he wanted the opposite. He was naturally a destructive kid but wanted to fit in with kids who could be quiet and calm.

[@RobWirdWachsen]

I remember a huge moment for me as a child (maybe 10) was when my peers told my I was being too aggressive. At that moment I realised that I had never wanted to be aggressive, just to fit in with the others, and it was a huge relief. On that day I completely changed the way I acted forever. I can definitely see Michael somewhere along those lines

[@defaultio3354]

⁠​⁠@@noseinyosneakersnah he was tryna fit in with the ‘cool’ kids who were way louder. Why would he want to fit in with those of ‘lower status’

[@mementomori4817]

I think his struggle is that he wants to fit in with the wild crowd so badly that it tires him out endlessly, he enjoys the company of the quiet kids because its not as tiring and he doesnt have to pretend there but theyre not COOL which is what he so desperatly wants to be seen as (not trying to psychoanalyse anyone but i do recognise my lil adhd self in that)

[@pegsbarton6353]

@@RobWirdWachsen I'm full of admiration that other 10 yr olds had the guts to say to your face that you were too aggressive. That took some courage to do. I could do it now as an old woman, but as a child I was so intraverted and shy, and most of the time, very frightened. We had school bullies, we had peer groups that I was never part of..School was a nightmare for me, and looking back I see that was basically creeping round not looking anyone in the face, trying desperately to find a 'place' but not really wanting to be near any of them. I hid in my books, invisible!

[@Paggen]

This is why fathers are solely needed in households, single-mother households cannot contain this (speaking from experience)

[@RespecTheLevYT]

I love the seriousness of the voice-over guy

[@lisahughes8779]

This was fascinating and disturbing all at once. Some of those children need some serious help.

[@shaow_shy1]

this was 21 years ago

[@garygray2078]

I agree. But I also see the biggest problem was the lack of food resources and lack of skills. That alone cause frustration. Can't expect a bunch of spoiled tweens to learn from one week of cooking classes. I also think it was kinda shytty they provided a house full of candy and soda to kids.

[@jameware]

nah man, this is just what happens when kids are left on their own. you would've been the same

[@snowducky]

Nobody needs help, they’re just kids. The fact that they argued and fought is no biggie since in all of the arguments and fights the biggest element was fun. It’s play fighting that’s all.

[@user-gt5me3nf6b]

@@CHINZIG_UK what problem lol

[@izaakfarrington7751]

I feel sorry for the people who have to clean that place

[@niezyje8922]

@d1mexify what about the ppl who cleaned in between the two genders

[@nooraqueen2716]

It’s been 22 years since this was filmed

[@general_maks]

@@nooraqueen2716 and they still cleaning

[@fridaee]

If you ever think you're house is messy, remember that this house existed.

[@PottahThing13]

Rip whoever cleaned that up

[@J.Strantz]

Excellent display of the true nature of man when left to his own devices.

[@kdizzle901]

They’re not men they’re boys

[@Jessica-ug7gq]

The tent moment is adorable George is so appreciative and protective over Sim

[@ChristoKiwi]

Be interesting to have done this in different countries and cultures as well.

[@jed4276]

I wasn't expecting the boys to actually start cleaning the place! I probably would have cleaned too

[@kniefi]

I came to the comments after watching the whole video and two things really did surprise me: 1. They never re-elected another leader but just stuck with their initial decision. 2. Robert seems to not get mentioned a lot in the comments, yet I found his behaviour to be the most based on and he seemed genuinely upset that all the other kids where just destroying stuff and causing mayhem. He even seemed sad at them not valueing private property/ things and the way they behaved

[@bakedpotato1536]

Robert was the worthy leader

[@edennoel8770]

I literally was searching for a comment mentioning Robert☹️ He was so good 🫶🏼 hope he’s well✨

[@TanjoGalbi]

@@edennoel8770 Robert may have been better than the others but the experiment taught us that these kids at least (and I'd say most kids in general) had no self control, that was the point of it all, to see if they did. While some trashed the house more than others they all had a hand in it so I could not honestly say any one of the boys was 'good'. Without proper self control, kids will resort to mob rule no matter how good they are individually. Unfortunately, for many this behaviour continues into adulthood due to various reasons ranging from poor education to poor parenting.

[@marianat1393]

robert and george were the best

[@artisthusnatalal3099]

​@@marianat1393And Sim was the best of the best. When other's were fighting outside he was solving a puzzle. He cooked and clean too😊

[@odst2247]

I think it’s extremely important to note that any good or bad behavior noticed in this experiment is a direct product of their developing brains, the adolescence mind is far different than that of a full grown adult, you can’t watch this and think like an adult, or judge as an adult, because their minds are fundamentally different, primary driven by emotions and with less influence from logical thinking

[@simonphoenix3789]

That's true, but I think a lot of people are also judging by how they behaved themselves at that age. I definitely was no saint, and I think my behavior, if I were put into this situation, would make the adult me squirm in embarassment. But I am also sure I would have not been quite so terrible as some of the people here, at least when it comes to destroying things.

[@alexandraquadling510]

yeah, also these boys aren't even adolescents yet so they are still very young. all the comments calling some of them disturbed or evil are crazy - all of this was normal behaviour. its the most normal behaviour actually, because it's what they chose to do when they were able to govern themselves. hopefully all these boys grew up to be happy and healthy :)

[@schnoah1336]

@@alexandraquadling510 yes I think the same. Some comments are really weird and show, that those people know very little about children. Even though I believe you don't have to have a lot of knowledge to sympathize with the children and their behavior shown in the documentary.

[@Bejeodiehrubridjehfoekdjriwknr]

@@simonphoenix3789lots of people also think they wouldn’t react like the participants in the stanford prison experiment. Weird things can happen when left alone without supervision. Especially for kids with developing brains

[@MadScientist267]

So, just like "adults" here in 2023?

[@hannabarbarawojcik]

This is amazing. What a fascinating study.

[@hannabarbarawojcik]

Love the establishment of democracy here when conscientiousness comes in.

[@hannabarbarawojcik]

I think Michael has ADHD.

[@hannabarbarawojcik]

and George is just the sweetest.

[@hannabarbarawojcik]

"I'm not playing til Michael's playing because we're a group" --beautiful. You see everything in this documentary! Bystander effect

[@marcpennington8455]

This needs to be done with hidden CCTV. Kids act differently if there’s a grown up standing there no matter if they’re not supposed to interact or not. “Only intervene if safety is concerned”? Isn’t that when the serious decisions and consequences are most important?