Watchly Safety Review

200 dropped wallets- the 20 MOST and LEAST HONEST cities

Mark Rober

8:24 · 38.1M views · May 9, 2018

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Minor FlagsReviewed June 2026

1Minor Flag

1No Issues

This is an uplifting social experiment that tests honesty across 20 North American cities by dropping 200 wallets and tracking return rates. The video uses real data and scientific methodology to challenge negative assumptions about human nature, ultimately showing that two-thirds of people returned lost wallets regardless of income, age, gender, or religious background.

Content Breakdown · 2 Categories

Geopolitical Commentary & AdvocacyA little

Very mild social commentary present at the end about online outrage culture and group polarization, but it's presented in a balanced, non-partisan way as a general observation about human behavior. The creator references a CGPGrey video about 'thoughts as viruses' and discusses how online content can warp perspectives. This is more philosophical reflection than political advocacy.

See evidence (1)

“Lately, it seems like so much of what you see online is meant to stoke outrage at some group of people versus ourselves because that's what gets shared and that begins to warp our perspectives that the only good people out there are those within our own group.”9:03

Sexual Education & Reproductive HealthNot present

Very minor presence: the wallets contained an ultrasound picture as part of making them look realistic and adding sentimental value. This is mentioned briefly and shown as part of the wallet contents but is not discussed in any educational or detailed way.

See evidence (1)

“And then I put in an ultrasound picture and on the back we hand wrote a date from four years ago”0:28

What Parents Need to Know

This video is educational, positive, and completely safe for children. It demonstrates the scientific method, data collection, and statistical analysis while promoting core values like honesty and integrity. The content contains no inappropriate language, violence, or mature themes. The creator intentionally designed the experiment to restore faith in humanity rather than exploit negativity. The only minor consideration is that young children may not fully grasp the statistical concepts, but the overall message about doing the right thing is universally appropriate.

Talk to Your Kids About

1Ask your child what they would do if they found a lost wallet and discuss why returning it is important even when no one is watching.
2Talk about the experiment's findings that honesty wasn't affected by wealth, religion, or location—what does this teach us about making assumptions about people?
3Discuss the scientific method shown in the video: forming a hypothesis, collecting data, and drawing conclusions based on evidence.
4Ask if they were surprised that most people returned the wallets and what this says about trusting others in their community.

200 dropped wallets- the 20 MOST and LEAST HONEST cities

Protected Viewing

What's This Video About?

I lost my wallet and someone didn't return it. Revenge is a dish best served... with data. CGPGrey's fascinating video about how thoughts are like viruses and why so much of what we read today makes us upset: https://youtu.be/rE3j_RHkqJc MUSIC- 0:07- Cereal Killa- Blue Wednesday - https://soundcloud.com/bluewednesday/ 1:29- Faidherbe Square- ProleteR- https://soundcloud.com/proleter-beatmaker 2:28- Berlin- Andrew Applepie- http://andrewapplepie.com/ 4:50- Q- Blue Wednesday - https://soundcloud.com/bluewednesday/ 6:43- Arrow- Andrew Applepie- http://andrewapplepie.com/ 7:09- The Ocean- Andrew Applepie- http://andrewapplepie.com/ 9:03- Too Happy to be cool by Notebreak- https://soundcloud.com/notebreak/dubstep-too-happy-to-be-cool Here is the data: https://www.dropbox.com/s/m2ahob0949mmj3s/Wallet%20Data%20Aggragate.xlsx?dl=0 Summary: I lost my wallet. That made me curious about what kind of person doesn't return a found wallet. So I got 200 wallets and dropped them in 10 cities to collect data to rank the honesty of the cities and to build a profile of an honest person. We looked at variables such as male v. female, age, high income v. low income, religious v. non-religious, small town v. big town. MERCH- By popular demand I have shirts now! I picked the super soft, high quality shirts and make $0 on all items which is why they are priced so handsomely :) https://teespring.com/stores/markrober PLEASE CONSIDER SUBSCRIBING: http://tinyurl.com/MarkRober-Sub **************************************** I make videos like this once a month all year long while supplies last: CHECK OUT MY CHANNEL: http://tinyurl.com/MarkRober-YouTube FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/MarkRoberYouTube TWITTER: https://twitter.com/#!/MarkRober INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/markrober/

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this video appropriate for elementary school children?

Yes, this video is excellent for elementary-aged children and older. It presents a positive social experiment with no inappropriate content while teaching valuable lessons about honesty, scientific thinking, and not stereotyping people based on where they live or their background.

Does this video teach good values to kids?

Absolutely. The video reinforces the importance of honesty and doing the right thing even when no one is watching. It also challenges negative stereotypes and shows children that most people are fundamentally good, which is a healthy perspective for developing empathy and trust.

Are there any safety concerns in this video?

There are no safety concerns. The video contains no violence, inappropriate language, dangerous activities, or mature themes. It's a straightforward documentary-style experiment with positive messaging throughout.

What educational value does this video offer?

The video teaches the scientific method, data collection, statistical analysis, and critical thinking. Children learn how to test hypotheses, control variables, and draw evidence-based conclusions. It also provides geography lessons about North American cities and promotes media literacy by showing how data can challenge assumptions.

Could this video encourage kids to conduct similar experiments?

While the video demonstrates scientific thinking, it's unlikely to inspire risky behavior since the experiment itself is harmless. If anything, it might encourage children to think more critically about honesty and conduct their own age-appropriate observations about human behavior, which is positive.

Is the content engaging enough to hold a child's attention?

Children aged 8 and up who enjoy science, experiments, or real-world problem-solving will likely find this engaging. Younger children may lose interest in the statistical details, but the core story about testing honesty and the surprising results should maintain attention for most viewers.

What age is "200 dropped wallets- the 20 MOST and LEAST HONEST cities" appropriate for?

Watchly's safety review recommends "200 dropped wallets- the 20 MOST and LEAST HONEST cities" for ages 8 and up. See the content breakdown above for the category-by-category findings behind this recommendation.