The reasons for YouTube’s demise are the same as they were for Facebook and Myspace.
1. Younger Audiences Are Not Interested in YouTube
YouTube is not the most popular social media network among teens in the United States, according to a new survey by Promo Research. TikTok is the most popular social media platform. TikTok is also the world’s fastest-growing social media network. In just three years, the Chinese social media app has surpassed one billion active users, and TikTok achieved the biggest number of downloads for any app in a single quarter in the first quarter of 2020. Unlike YouTube, TikTok has a sizable user base that is rapidly expanding. But that is not the only way TikTok is succeeding where YouTube has fallen short. In an attempt to emulate TikTok’s short-form films, YouTube had to establish a “Shorts” category featuring 60-second videos. The new feature did not help YouTube expand into a younger demographic of viewers. YouTube still caters to an older audience while TikTok caters to younger generations.
2. YouTube Doesn’t Allow for Much Creativity
YouTube’s enforcement of rules has become super strict. And monetization gets stripped away fast if the content is controversial. Thus, this article could not be a monetized video. There are also tighter copyright laws for the use of third-party music or entertainment clips in videos. YouTube has a very corporate way of operating. Instead of featuring independent artists’ work, the website contains advertisements and content from celebrities, famous producers, and Fortune 500 corporations. It’s difficult for new creators to get noticed or achieve the criteria for revenue. Facebook and MySpace became outdated as a result of their reliance on commercial content. Viewers dislike being interrupted by commercials. YouTube is going through the same situation. The site is a corporate wasteland littered with advertisements, clickbait, and product placements, and it promotes material from celebrities and artists with large followings over content from new independent users. TikTok makes it easier to become a content producer in 2022 than YouTube. YouTube has started to despise its underground celebrities. They’d rather give money to those who have been personally vetted. YouTube is geared toward well-known artists, singers, or celebrities. If you’re not one of these people, it will be more difficult for you to monetize your hobby and turn it into a job.
3. YouTube’s Music Videos Are Losing Ground
TikTok has already blazed the way in terms of unique songs that have become famous on their platform. If they begin to cut into the music video business, it will be a major setback for YouTube. It’s simply more territory that TikTok may seize from YouTube.
4. Competition Is Needed in the Online Entertainment Market
New creators feel betrayed by the demonetization prejudice. YouTube prioritizes corporate and institutional interests above individual producers. Antitrust laws are needed now to help break up Facebook, Google, and YouTube. They’ve practically become necessities, and putting them in the hands of a few individuals isn’t a smart idea. If the government were as wise as the old oil and telephone monopolies, they would be broken up. Competition is necessary, particularly when these platforms are plainly being utilized as political instruments. What if Mark Zuckerberg or Susan Wojcicki, the CEO of YouTube, decided to run for president? Do you believe they won’t utilize your information in their presidential campaign? It’s time to dismantle the giants.
5. Shameless Clickbait
On TikTok, you add a sentence to say what the video is about—that’s it. If the person is interested, they watch the video. On YouTube, creators are forced to use shameless clickbait to get clicks and view time. It is for this reason that content creators rely on Patreon for funding. And it’s for this reason that people are flocking to TikTok. On TikTok, it is easy to get followers and plenty of views. Thus, you do not have to use clickbait to get people to like, share, and subscribe to your channel. You also do not have to do much editing for the video thumbnails. This content reflects the personal opinions of the author. It is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and should not be substituted for impartial fact or advice in legal, political, or personal matters. © 2022 Kandice Fyffe
