Common Sense Media Review
By Patricia Monticello Kievlan
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Mildly amusing chatbot misses YouTuber's main appeal.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 12+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Download
Videos and Photos
Pewdiebot
What's It About?
PEWDIEBOT is an interactive app that lets users "chat" with an interactive robot version of PewDiePie. With an active internet connection, users type a message and an animated version of PewDiePie answers in a robotic voice. A menu at the top left reveals a chat history, and users can share their past chats via email or social media. As the animated bot responds, he pulls faces and various animations appear, including an image of his pug, Edgar, and the "brofist" that ends his videos. The bot will sometimes throw in a catchphrase or reference to the YouTuber's other videos or other games.
Is It Any Good?
Like any chatbot, this one is a bit of a one-trick pony: It's amusing to engage in conversation, but only to a point. Pewdiebot is most likely to appeal to teens and tweens -- a good choice, since that's this celebrity's core audience. The main thing lacking here is the YouTuber's warmth and personality. All that's on display here are some catchphrases and a lot of fairly generic nonsense interactions, and there's limited appeal after the initial novelty wears off. Also, conversations can be excruciatingly slow with huge gaps between responses. In the end, it's best to look elsewhere for a good way to interact with your favorite YouTuber.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about YouTube stars. PewDiePie is the most popular channel on YouTube with more than 40 million followers, and Pewdiebot is an extension of that popularity. Learn more about YouTube stars kids love.
Talk to kids about safely using YouTube, and read our Parent's Ultimate Guide to YouTube.
App Details
- Devices : iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad , Android
- Pricing structure : Paid
- Release date : July 7, 2016
- Genre : Simulation Games
- Publisher : Existor Limited
- Version : 1.0.1
- Minimum software requirements : iOS 8.4 or late; Android 4.4 and up
- Last updated : October 31, 2022
Did we miss something on diversity?
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
Suggest an 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.
See how we rate