Slaves to an Algorithm: The YouTube Creator Conundrum

As a creative platform, YouTube continues to be an interesting, paradigm shifting experiment. Originally, YouTube was presented as a creator-friendly platform where people could make original content and share videos for anyone to see anywhere in the world. The very concept of a global content-sharing platform that could vastly broaden our collective perspective felt like a real game-changer. Another potential paradigm shift that the birth of the internet had promised.

Cut to a decade or so later, and that shift has not only been tectonic, but not entirely positive. Here’s some of what history has already taught us about YouTube. I mention it for future reference and don’t feel like wasting time with already-established truths.

The 12 Universal Truths of YouTube

1. YouTube doesn’t make money. It’s a barely breakeven platform that is only able to succeed as one part of a multi-faceted business strategy of their parent company; Alphabet Inc.
2. The platform started creator-friendly but has now become the internet arm of every major media conglomerate.
3. The platform has embraced four-quadrant, family-friendly, politically correct ‘advertiser safe’ content.
4. The platform has a constantly changing set of guidelines for what determines ‘advertiser friendly’ keeping many top creators guessing as to what videos will and won’t get demonetized
5. It is becoming increasingly harder for content creators to generate enough livable revenue from just creating content on users. Most high profile users now use YouTube as one facet of their revenue stream, relying on financial patrons through Patreon (or YouTube’s own version) to lock down guaranteed income. Stream sites like Twitch can be an added revenue stream, as can brand deals with sites like Skillshare, Squarespace or Dollar Shave Club. Some enterprising entrepreneurial YouTubers have turned to ‘merch’ sales into a multi-million dollar revenue generator. The bottom line; Most YouTubers can’t sustain a livable wage with YouTube ad revenue.
6. The platform has become a battleground for the concept of ‘fair use’ and employs a copyright claim system that leaves most creators angry about how easy it is to have their original content stolen with almost no recourse.
7. In an effort to try and promote itself as ‘advertiser friendly, the platform expends a lot of energy focusing on the positivity of what YouTube can offer and works hard to suppress anything or anyone who conflicts with that vision
8. Although the platform claims to stringently police disturbing & offensive content (especially aimed at children), they often allow troubling channels and videos to remain active so long as they are generating good revenue for YouTube. Often times truly offensive content is only removed after a large public push forces their hand (See number nine)
9. The platform has almost zero visibility when it comes to leadership or a decision making body. There is no Elon Musk or Mark Zuckerberg for YouTube. It is a collection of executives and decision makers that prefer to be unnamed and unfollowed by the general public.
10. There is zero process transparency. Which videos make it to top of YouTube’s trending page? That’d be anybody’s guess. The #1 ‘trending video’ might have half a million views while the fourth highest may have 31 million. If a video gets removed for any of the many reasons the platform has for striking content, it will usually stay that way unless a public outcry forces their hand (See number seven)
11. It’s all algorithms. The most defining characteristic of YouTube as a platform is that most of the processes seem to be made not by people, but by algorithms. What you see in your feed may be completely different in another. It’s a series of competing, data-data compiling codes that are trying to figure out what you might want to watch, along with the constant insertion of advertiser-friendly content that they want you to watch. YouTube creators have become slaves to algorithms. What they talk about, the length of their videos, the video description… even what the thumbnail for the video looks like to hit that algorithmic sweet spot.
12. YouTube rewards quantity over quality. Those who create more are promoted more (thanks to a wonderful algorithm). For creators, this means putting out more videos with less actual content. The overall quality suffers, forcing many creators into an uncomfortable level of deconstruction where they analyze everything from TikTok videos to other channels, cannibalizing one another for additional content. It’s the internet version of the 24 hour news cycle and it creates a lot of hyperbolic, vitriolic content.

YouTube creators are very comfortable sharing their grievances with anyone willing to click a ten-minute plus video. Creator frustration with the platform has become so widespread that it’s part of the YouTube culture. And yet, YouTube really has no financial incentive to change; it’s the only outlet for these creators. Much like Amazon or Google (Another letter in Alphabet’s , YouTube is practically a monopoly. There are other options. But none with the kind of user base that can support steady, though rapidly diminishing ad revenues.

Let’s talk about YouTube’s lack of financial incentives for keeping their creators happy; there is none. To YouTube, creators are an infinite resource. If a popular YouTuber decides to leave the platform, there are literally millions of people waiting to take their place. Throngs of people making videos just hoping to become the next PewDiePie or LeLe Pons. People are still going to be desperately hunting for clicks long after popular YouTubers like Liza Koshy stop posting in search of more lucrative, less demanding entertainment outlets.

It seems painfully clear that YouTube isn’t going to change how it does business. It continues to streamline systems and processes to marginalize dissenters and provide no options for those unhappy with the platform, with millions of hopeful YouTube stars waiting in the wings to take the place of anyone who becomes dissatisfied with doing the bidding of algorithms to maintain a healthy viewing audience.

So you have the world’s most popular video sharing platform with no legitimate contenders, nebulous policies with draconian enforcement and a complete lack of transparency to those creating the content, with no onus to create loyalty due to the vast reservoir of limitless ‘talent’ waiting for their shot.

The truth is, YouTube creators are existing with a Sisyphean system. Unless they can find fulfillment with whatever incline the algorithm sets, they’ll spend their best content creating years facing the same daily grind.