Context · YouTube
YouTube is built to show your kid whatever keeps them watching the longest, and what holds their attention is often really different from what's good for them.
Why this matters for your kid
YouTube measures success in watch time, so every video it suggests is the one most likely to keep your kid watching. The stuff that gets them worked up gets pushed harder, because it holds attention better. The app's only job is keeping your kid on it, and it does that whether or not what it's showing them is any good for them.
What your child experiences
They start with a cooking video and end up on conspiracy theories, because the app just follows whatever holds their attention, wherever that leads.
Where to actually look
I'd check what they're watching about twenty minutes in. The video they started with is usually fine, and by then the algorithm has already carried them somewhere else.
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