Although it's increasingly becoming a dream for many a young creative nowadays, it's really hard to become a YouTube sensation - and getting harder every day. Although we at one time used it to share our hilarious videos with the world and whatnot, now, there's some serious money to be made on the tubes.

Hanging out with a young cousin of mine, it's become apparent YouTube has overtaken the likes of Netflix or terrestrial TV as the primary means of entertainment for that generation, and one of the most popular forms of YouTube video out there is the prank video. You know exactly what I'm talking about.

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Ridiculous, click-baity titles in all caps, some guffawing teenager making a dumb face, maybe some implied nudity if you like; these are all the trademarks of the average YouTube prank video. Breaking into that industry is pretty difficult, you can imagine, so you're going to have to think of something decidedly left-field to stand out.

Cordero James Brady from Nevada (better known as the YouTuber CJ SO COOL) thought he had the answer, but he's recently come under fire after he food-pranked his children in an attempt to generate more clicks. With 5.7 million subscribers to his name, you have to go two years back to track down the questionable video in question, but it got the YouTuber in hot water with child protective services.

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Like many of these big YouTube channels, 29-year-old Brady's page is monetised - meaning that he sells space to advertisers, and the more people who watch his video, the more money it makes. I don't know about you, but I'd imagine there are quite a few people that would watch a video of a guy pranking his kids with laxatives, so here we are.

As law enforcement in Nevada reveals: “There was a case that was investigated in 2016 involving laxatives and this individual. It was a joint investigation with Clark County Child Protective Services. It was submitted to the DA's office and it was recommended as a criminal case.” So, what's the video we're talking about here?

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The video was deleted - and the account suspended - last week after it caught a lot of flak on the video site, but for a time period of around two years, it stayed strong on CJ's page. The video we're talking about here, though, involves allegedly giving his kids ice cream - but the ice cream is laced with laxatives. Cue... hilarity?

Jumping 90 minutes ahead, CJ then filmed his children apparently screaming and crying in pain, before even following them to the bathroom to further record their pain. But as outrageous as this all sounds, we should all try our best to take this story with a pinch of salt.

First off, that little thing called monetisation; since he's trying to generate buzz for his video, there's a good chance that CJ faked drugging his kids for more views. Secondly, you also have to consider that the criticism initially came from the site babe.net, which has come in for criticism itself for the way it's handled certain stories (eg. a piece on Aziz Ansari that ran in the height of the #MeToo movement).

All that said, if the allegations turn out to be true, this is a horrifying example of the lengths some people will go for clicks.

A homeless teenager has gone viral and gained nearly 600,000 followers on TikTok this week after posting a candid video showing others how he prepares his food.

According to BoredPanda, the video in question was uploaded to the platform on February 24 by a user going by the @randomhomelessguy2, who is currently living rough on the streets along with his mom.

The TikTok user has since uploaded two videos showing others how he and his parent survive on super cost-efficient meals, such as ramen noodles, pasta, and passata with bread.

The teen also shows how he employs an electric cooker, which he purchased on the cheap - supplying himself with water from drinking fountains and power from public sockets.

According to the teen, the videos were recorded on his iPhone 11, which his mom bought for him last year at the beginning of 2020 before they lost their homes.

The first video quickly picked up a lot of attention online, accruing over 20 million views, 4.7 million likes, and over 72,000 comments from other TikTok users as of the time of writing.

For instance, one person wrote: "Take care! I hope things get better for you [sic]"

Another person wrote: "Do people not understand [the] difference between homeless and poor?? buying a 15 dollar pan and a house are completely different things."

Meanwhile, someone else wrote: "ppl give 22k to a lady with glue on her head when they could help someone like this instead [...] I hate it here."

Another person wrote: "I'm so proud of you! Please make sure to stay safe x [sic]"

Finally, someone else wrote: "clearly some people in the comments think that being homeless means you have pennies, no phonem nothing... guys homeless means without a home."

In a later follow-up post, the unnamed teen responded to claims from some skeptics that his videos had been faked for the sake of views, and thanked his supporters for their encouraging words.

The rise of YouTube has gone hand-in-hand with the rise of pranksters. Whether it's small things such as simply tickling people in public or couples doing prank wars on one another, people can't get enough of pranksters and their videos. However, sometimes, these things can go too far - and this story is just one of a million examples of a prank gone wrong.

There are several times YouTube pranks go wrong, such as when a prankster decided to throw water in the faces of members of the public, or when one woman decided to shoot her boyfriend with a gun, hoping that the bullet would become lodged in an encyclopedia that he had resting on his chest. Sadly for them, that prank had fatal consequences with the man dying shortly after the gunshot went through. Now, however, we have a prank that went wrong in a different way.

A Spanish prankster who decided to kung-fu kick a woman from behind for the sake a viral video has ended up having to pay over $73,000 in compensation after the incident was reported to the police and ended up going to court.

Mario Garcia Montealegre was filmed on his YouTube channel approaching the innocent victim in The Diagonal Mar area of Barcelona as she was stood at the side of the road with her unsuspecting friend.

Montealegre, 24, can be seen counting down with his fingers before he decides to run and kick the woman in the back of the leg. Such was the force of the kick, the 48-year-old woman ends up twisting awkwardly and collapsing to the ground in pain.

The woman can be heard shrieking in agony before she looks back at the giggling vlogger and shouts: "a**hole!"

After the incident, which took place in February 2015, Catalan police's Mossos d'Esquadra released footage of the video alongside a message, which read: "Help us to catch this person who thinks it is okay to attack innocent people."

After the video went viral on social media, with him receiving a lot of scorn for his actions, Montealegre decided to turn himself into the police station.

Now, however, he has agreed to pay the unnamed woman €60,000 in compensation for the assault. Despite the fact that prosecutors had originally requested a total of €45,000 in damages, the defendant wanted to pay more in order to demonstrate his willingness to make amends for his actions.

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It's believed that following the prank, the woman in question ended up suffering from a sprained ankle, as well as suffering from minor injuries to her left knee and wrist and cervical pain. On top of this, she also had to take 75 days sick leave in order to get over her injuries and the ordeal itself.

It's a pretty cowardly and callous act from Montealegre, who rightly had to pay up for his actions. Still, whatever way you look at it, €60,000 is a hefty price to pay for a prank that you played on a Saturday night out.

A busker who gave her earnings to a homeless man has received instant "good karma" from a generous stranger.

Liv Harland, a singer from York, was busking in Manchester city center when she noticed a homeless man rummaging through a nearby bin for food.

She watched the man pull out a box of chicken nuggets that someone else had thrown away. Unable to stand by and watch, Harland stopped singing and went over to him, asking: "If I give you money will you get fresh ones?"

When the man agreed, Harland took a note out of her own money pot and handed it to the man. He thanked her gratefully then headed off to get himself a meal.

"Promise me you'll get fresh ones," Harland called after him.

Unbeknownst to Harland, a kind man had been watching the whole exchange. A few seconds later he stepped up and put double the amount she gave away into her donation pot.

Harland shared a video of the event on her TikTok @livharlandmusic with the caption "Is this good karma or what??"

Since being posted the video has gone viral, amassing over 15 million views, 3 million likes, and almost 15,000 comments on TikTok.

Some eagle-eyed users noticed that the man had been watching Liv right from the start of the video.

"Anyone notice the guy at the end watched her then he repaid her kindness," one commented.

Other's praised Harland for her kindness and generosity.

One wrote: "The fact that you didn't even think twice. Such a kind heart."

Another added: "You could have said it over the mic to get attention, but you didn't because you genuinely wanted to help him."

One user summed up what a wonderful example of good karma the incident was. "Sharing will not make you poorer," they wrote.

Receiving so many lovely comments also prompted Harland to share another video from a different angle that she had of the event, titled "Part 2 Good Karma."

Since being posted four days ago, this video has been watched over 300 thousand times.

Featured Image Credit: Ed Rooney / Alamy

A YouTuber from Virginia has claimed that he sustained gunshot wounds after he tried to prank a man at a local mall.

YouTuber Tanner Cook - whose account has 41,000 subscribers - regularly posts videos of himself pranking strangers for the channel Classified Goons.

Previous clips have shown him accusing people of stealing, taking customers' groceries, going behind the counter at a fast-food restaurant, and pretending to vomit on Uber drivers. In some cases, his victims became agitated and even called the cops.

On Sunday (April 2), Cook's prank took an almost deadly turn after a man allegedly pulled out a semi-automatic pistol and shot him after he and his friends played a practical joke near the Cheesecake Factory in Dulles Town Center Mall's food court.

Investigators allege that the man - identified as 31-year-old Alan Colie - shot the 21-year-old in the stomach and liver. Cook survived the injury and had to undergo surgery after medics brought him to a hospital in critical condition.

Speaking to WUSA from his hospital bed, the YouTuber said: "I was playing a prank and a simple practical joke, and this guy didn't take it very well," adding, "He didn't say anything to me."

According to the outlet, Cook's friend was filming the prank. His family has said that the footage is included in the evidence for the police.

His father, Jeramy Cook, spoke about the devastating incident, telling the news station: "They were making a video at the mall and trying to have fun with people and this guy wasn't having fun. There was a phone that was around him and they were interviewing or talking to him, and he didn't like it and he pulled out his gun and shot my son."

"We need restoration, we need healing, and we need to come together," Jeramy continued. "I pray for this young man and pray that he finds God in this. I believe that God saved our son's life, and he could have easily died but that's not the outcome. God has plans for my son."

His grandfather, Mike Cook, also shared his thoughts and revealed that the family refuses to be afraid: "It's obviously been unnerving and some fear running in and out, but we live on faith and not fear."

Per People, police have disclosed that the suspect was arrested and charged with "aggravated malicious wounding, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and discharging a firearm within a building," adding, "The shooting resulted from an interaction between the victim and Colie in the food court."

Colie is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday (April 5). He has been assigned a public defender.

Despite his injuries, the YouTuber told WUSA that he intends to continue making prank videos.

Featured image credit: PSL Images / Alamy