YouTube was created in 2005 as a platform for regular people to express their creativity. Through YouTube, people such as Justin Bieber, Bo Burnham, Bethany Mota, Jenna Marbles, Shane Dawson, and many more have come to fame through uploading simple videos. YouTube used to be a place where everyone had equal opportunity to "make it."
Now, YouTube has become a place for celebrities to push their materials. Don't get me wrong, I love YouTube, but I don't love when, in a middle of a video, there's an advertisement built in for a specific product. If you look at the "trending" page, most of the clips are from late night shows. Very rarely do you see a CinemaSins or Fine Brothers video trending.
I do enjoy being able to watch various clips from "The Tonight Show" when I miss it the previous night. But at the same time, by putting their content onto YouTube, it just adds more fame to people who already have a stable following. I just find that to be taking away from the whole mission of YouTube.
There are people who rely on YouTube as a career. I find it amazing that by posting daily vlogs or posting a song, you can earn enough money to be able to support yourself comfortably. However, these people find it hard to get any recognition anymore, because YouTube is being flooded with videos that are already on TV and on the respective show's websites. That results in having to make product review videos or having sponsored videos, which is hard, as a viewer, to watch. Especially when it's a company like Band-Aid sponsoring a video.
YouTube is supposed to be a platform for "normal people." Now, you can't watch a video without having a 15- or 30-second ad right before it. Occasionally, YouTube will send me a message advertising use of YouTube without ads, but for a monthly payment. I just find it ridiculous how it's changed in just 10 years time.
Something similar occurred with Vine, but at a much faster rate. Vine started out as a way for people to take six-second videos of their friends, but it's quickly turned into a group of about 20 famous Viners. Then Viners took their fame to YouTube, where they were forced to make videos that show their actual personalities, which later created controversy (for example, take Nash Grier's video on what he finds attractive about girls).
YouTube was supposed to be "the people's platform." Now it's become a platform for celebrities to share their already published videos, already famous YouTubers doing sponsored videos for money, or for Vevo (where celebrities post their music videos). Every single time that there's a platform for "normal people," there's always a way for it to be exploited. We've seen it with YouTube, Vine, Twitter, Instagram, and now even Snapchat. What's next?
