A YouTube creator has lifted the lid on what it’s really like to live in some of America’s poorest and ‘most depressed’ cities – marked by drug addiction and homelessness.
Tyler Oliveira, 24, of Modesto, Calif., recently took a trip to West Virginia — the state ranked number one in depression rates, second in poverty and fourth in substance abuse.
He visited a few of the most impoverished areas and chatted to locals – who opened up about everything from what they do for fun to how they deal with the relentless crime and ‘dope heads’ who roam the streets at night.
They also spoke of the rampant incest and bestiality in the region, with one resident admitting he knew someone who had ‘smashed his horse’ and another understood he had heard of some ‘mothers and sons’ who had been together.
Tyler Oliveira has lifted the lid on what it’s really like to live in some of America’s poorest and ‘most depressed’ cities – marked by drug addiction and homelessness
The 24-year-old, from Modesto, Calif., recently took a trip to West Virginia — the state ranked number one in depression rates, number two in poverty and number four in substance abuse
He visited a few of the most impoverished areas in the state and chatted with the locals
They opened up about everything from what they do for fun to how they dealt with the incessant crime and ‘dope heads’ roaming the streets at night
Tyler documented the whole thing and uploaded the video to his YouTube channel earlier this month, where it quickly went viral, racking up nearly two million views in a matter of days.
“I’m going to visit the poorest towns in the dead state of West Virginia, once fueled by its booming coal mining industry,” he began.
The 24-year-old started his journey by going to a small town called Martinsburg, which has just under 19,000 residents.
One local described the area as a ‘craphole’ plagued by ‘drug problems and homeless people’.
“I just moved down here and all day long there are homeless people walking in front of the house,” he said. ‘It’s quite hard. I can’t wait to get out of here.’
Another agreed: ‘There is a lot of drug activity and people are struggling. Fentanyl, cocaine, crack…
‘It’s quite easy to get drugs out here and I’ve struggled with it myself.’
When Tyler asked someone if it was true that ‘incest was a thing out there’, the man admitted: ‘Yes, I have some cousins who are also my brothers.
They also spoke of the rampant incest and bestiality in the area, with one resident admitting he knew someone who had ‘smashed his horse’
Tyler documented the whole thing and uploaded the video to his YouTube channel earlier this month, where it quickly went viral, racking up nearly two million views in a matter of days
The 24-year-old started his journey by going to a small town called Martinsburg, which has just under 19,000 inhabitants
One local described the area as a ‘craphole’ plagued by ‘drug problems and homeless people’. The city is visible
‘There are people out here smashing their cousins. There are people out here smashing their horses. I don’t judge, but no animals for me.’
“I just moved down here and all day long there are homeless people walking in front of the house,” he said. ‘It’s quite hard. I can’t wait to get out of here’
The YouTube star also asked residents what they did for fun, with one local telling him: ‘We’re all really sad and really poor so all you can do is work, f**k and get high .’
After that, Tyler went to Weston, which he called ‘the most miserable town he had ever been to’.
As he explored the extremely run-down community, he stopped to chat with its residents, many of whom praised former President Donald Trump.
A local who goes by Twig said that there were only four black people in the town and that most of the people who lived there could not read or write.
He theorized that about 90 percent of them were unemployed and living on disability.
When Tyler asked someone if it was true that ‘incest was a thing out there’, the man admitted: ‘Yes. I have some cousins who are also my brothers
After that, Tyler went to Weston (seen), which he called ‘the wretchedest town he’d ever been to’
As he explored the extremely run-down community, he stopped to chat with its residents, many of whom praised former President Donald Trump
A local who goes by Twig said that there were only four black people in the town and that most of the people who lived there could not read or write
He also explained that the only job opportunities they had were at the gas station, a ‘couple’ of restaurants and the town’s Dollar General store.
He added that there used to be more stores, but after a Walmart opened, most of them closed due to lack of business.
“We had little places everywhere, and then I think when Walmart started, they couldn’t keep up,” he shared.
Twig said meth was a big problem in the area and warned that when night falls you will usually see people ‘walking around like zombies’ on the street and hear ‘screaming’ out your window.
When Tyler asked some locals what they did for fun, one said they played video games and another admitted that the only thing to do in the area was ‘just walk around’.
And when he asked if there was much ‘incest out there’, one man told him: ‘The city is known for that. I’ve heard of mothers and sons getting together.’
During Tyler’s visit, he came across a mobile methadone clinic set up in a trailer as an attempt to help some of the locals.
He also explained that the only job opportunities they had were at the gas station, a ‘couple’ of restaurants and the town’s Dollar General store.
Twig said meth was a big problem in the area and warned that when night falls you’ll usually see people ‘walking around like zombies’ on the streets
When Tyler asked some locals what they did for fun, one said they played video games and another admitted that the only thing to do in the area was ‘just walk around’
And when he asked if there was a lot of ‘incest out there’, one man told him: ‘The city is known for it. I’ve heard of mothers and sons getting together’
“We treat mental health and addiction, we’re located here in the more rural communities because a lot of people can’t get out,” one worker told him, adding that they usually saw 30 to 40 people a day.
Tyler ended his day by driving to a town called Odd to see The Whittakers, who have been called America’s most inbred family
Tyler ended his day by driving to a town called Odd to see The Whittakers, who have been called America’s most inbred family.
The family consists of 15 siblings whose parents were double first cousins - meaning they shared both sets of grandparents. Genetic complications have caused a wide range of behavioral problems.
They have been known to bark at people, communicate through grunts, and often run away when people try to talk to them.
They were previously thrust into the spotlight after a documentarian named Mark Laita featured them in some of his content.
Tyler was given a tour of their home and did his best to chat with the family – many of whom spoke incoherently – before ending his adventure.
