Welcome back to the channel, on today’s episode, remember to like subscribe, and share. If you have watched a YouTube video and not heard this lately you are most likely watching someone’s first video.
Like the base 4-chord formula for pop songs, YouTube creators are becoming repetitive.
I will not highlight any specific YouTube channels for this article, they are simply doing what works for them. I am really calling out us, as the viewer, for allowing creators to get away with it.
Success removes risk. The more a channel succeeds with its content the fewer risks the channel takes. Fear of losing advertising, fear of even a single lost viewer leaves channels leaning even more into repeating the same thing and trying to make it interesting. Worse they chase bigger and bigger until you reach a point where there isn’t bigger or crazier you can do. Manufactured drama, fake personas, and sharing intimate details that were not part of the reason the channel started all play a part. Then comes the preaching about whatever cause they decide will help them reach more viewers or gain the next sponsor dollar. YouTube is entertainment, you are an entertainer, stick to your lane. There are exceptions to this. Tutorials from professionals to help people build, fix, or troubleshoot issues to save money and educate are the ones who deserve our support.
Monetization is making the platform unwatchable.
There are more ads in a 10-minute video than there are in a 30-minute TV show. Sure I can’t skip TV commercials but more and more I can’t skip YouTube ads either. I paused a video the other day to take a phone call and got hit with 4 ads back-to-back. Each lasted between 6 and 30 seconds and none were skippable. Penalized because I paused a video? It’s happened more than once indicating a pattern of showing an ad based on time on a video but not necessarily time played.
Why do I care? Does my opinion matter?
I care because it impacts my enjoyment of a platform that brings me happiness. My opinion does not matter. You already knew that. I am just another writer/photographer trying to get ahead on the internet like anyone else. I am also a consumer of content who wants to watch what I want to watch. I don’t want to make it, that’s a job, I want to consume it like anyone else.
