I deliberately and regularly search for and watch videos by people I don’t like so much politically, never use the dislike button and almost never comment on anything, I don’t want the algorithm pushing me down a rabbit hole until I can only see myself in it. What’s the point of media if it just exists to give me the same things over and over again?
Exposure to thoughts, ideas and people we disagree with is hugely important. If we stop engaging with each other, then we’re all fucked.
Not trying to be rude, but I wouldn’t think you would have to go looking for people to disagree with
Yes! But what? Wouldn’t it turn into youtube, unless it was somehow small, independant, well funded without ads?
Ha!
I know right.
But that’s the thing with all these algorithms, you do have to go looking for people to disagree with, otherwise you’ll just never see it.
Anyone who takes YouTube too seriously ends up becoming a parody of themselves. It’s really depressing watching the process whereby a charming amateur turns into a ‘creator’ stretching to meet deadlines for ‘content’.
“this used to be fun, now I’m begging strangers on the internet to buy coffee mugs with my face on them”
is that where you saw this going?
I mean, that’s what ultimately happens to most professional artists, but usually they get to have a little more fun in the process, not spend all day video editing and reviewing metrics, ‘hmm better put in something for the North American 12-18 year-olds this week’
Yeah, you’re right. And we all know the damage a total lack of diveristy leads to, look at UK establishment/govt. People who are always told what they want to hear, and can’t imagine the experience of anyone but a rich white straight man.
I’m somewhat lucky in that I live with someone who disagrees with me about absolutely everything.
I think if Priti Patel has taught us anything, it’s that straight white men don’t have the monopoly on being complete arse candles.
Thatcher was a man?
I mean, she did more damage than most men could ever dream of.
what do you guys think the percentage is of people who actually don’t know that Youtube isn’t a non-private entity with no obligation to massage the corns on their feet?..
Yeah, I could have cut out straight white man, because rich is enough, but even then, you people would have found a single counter example. (“oh, so an so is poor and a cunt”) Oh internet! But the point is that a cultural hegamony of privileged elites (which has some counter examples, like anything in life) is damaging for all, even those with the privilige. Diversity is natures way.
No idea, people don’t think, in general, about their relationship with technology and media, beyond the nice way it rubs their nubbin
EDIT: just to say MY experience of the internet has nothing to do with people agreeing with me.
I understand your point and I sympathize with it.
Just don’t lose your open mind, that’s all.
I think youtube is on the way out, a bit like FB and Twitter, once a platform tries to control content people move on, once they catch on.
I don’t know, they make so much money, and those “creators” who hit the jackpot, it is transformative. I don’t want to knock it completely. There are kids on their, making life changing sums of money.
If you look at old world broadcast “main stream media” (itself, maybe totally irrelevant) there is no way in for the vast majority of people, like any establishment, it is a closed, gatekept, unit. In UK, BBC is 90% people from the same small limited background. If you want to be in media, and you’re not rich to start with, you have very little chance. YouTube changed that.
Is it still possible to breakout on YouTube? I don’t know. I know that netflix et al have more representive and niche media than old school broadcast, and that is great in a way, but youtube must still offer some the chance of making a career in media in a way that just wasn’t there before.
Yeah, I don’t think it will happen overnight, but once more alternatives come along I think it will lose a considerable share.
I still like youtube, but it is much harder to find stuff that I want to watch now, and has been for about the last few years.
I don’t know what it is about modern search algorithms that have got so bad, I pretty much gave up on ebay now because their search is so bad, way too much irrelevance to scroll though before I find what I’m looking for, so I just give up.
One thing I think things like YouTube have massively contributed to is the proliferation of simple solutions to complex problems.
And I don’t just mean in political discussion, though that is an excellent example of it, there’s loads of it about, from the knobheads telling you you can sound just like disclosure with this one simple trick to the life hack knobheads who seem to think the best way to raise kids is one that prizes parental convenience above all other concerns.
There’s a move away from people discussing ideas and sharing advice through acquired expertise and professional experience towards a world where everyone just goes with what they think, because the internet does nothing but reinforce what they think, there’s no one saying “hang on, how do you know you’re in the right?”. Just a bunch of people queuing up to tell you you’re right, and great and don’t forget to smash that like button…
There are positives though. YouTube has played a big part in the increasing audience for more long form content, but a lot of this seems to almost be in spite of the algorithm, not because of it.
YT did not recommend this video to me, although I’m subscribed to Afrorack’s channel.
I think it nicely illustrates your point that less privileged yet talented creators can make it, but there still is a glass ceiling if you’re not pushing the right, corporate-world buttons.
I dislike that aspect.
If you don’t please the algorithm you get buried, in itself pretty sinister.
Completely agree. If I just bought a packet of fuses because the one I bought 10 years ago just ran out, I’m not going to buy another one next week.
Ditto the replacement shelf that I bought for my fridge … ditto lots of things.