3/3/24
YOUTUBE CONTENT CREATERS QUITTING YOUTUBE : OPINION BY CHRISTINE TRZYNA
eI don't so social media. Blogging can be social media but I turned the comments off on this blog long ago and rarely comment on other people's blogs. I simply do not have the time to be all and do all. I've put a great amount of time into this blog as well as some other projects I've worked on. I hope other people will benefit a bit from my Writing Workshop posted here or enjoy the same music I do, but other than that, I do this blog for me. To me it's like a scrapbook.
I walked in - late because there had been no prior notice - to a speaker at a library who was talking to a room of hopeful content creators who were determined to get as many hits as possible with as little dedicated time as possible. I mentioned I blogged and the speaker pretty much laughed me out of the room. "You still blog?" he said, with ridicule.
So I spoke up. I said that I did so and that I never had done it for hits, but because I love my subject. If just a few benefited from my work, that as good for me.
I listed to a number of fairly recent YouTube videos of Big Shot content creators who are quitting. They were burned out. They were unhappy with Adsense. One woman in particular exhibited her anger and explained blow by blow about how her Adsense payout jumped around; she had taken screen shots. Her complaints were dealt with by someone in another country who could only follow a script and not her complaints. Many said that they had lost the love of the process or their subject was no longer of interest. I admit to some anxiety when I feel that I have not posted as often as I would like because, as they say, "life is what happens to you while you're busy making plans." However, I also think that a feeling of obligation to my readers when it comes to creating content has also been good for me, keeping me writing, keeping me thinking, and especially allowing me to express myself beyond my real-life relationships.
A major problem for the serious YouTube content creators is that the shorts have been prioritized. I find them distracting. I'm the person who likes long episodes of deep concentration and hunts for videos on subjects that interest me that are longer.
I have long felt a concern when it comes to copyrights.
I feel that musicians and artists are always getting ripped off. I seek out videos to post that do not have ads, comfortable for me is the long ago start up spirit of contributory and no charge.
But I benefit by being able to listen to songs I remember or discover without an investment in purchasing.
The chronic ads get to me. I have never bought anything because of an ad that comes interrupting a video.
Recently Google/YouTube decided I was male based on the music I was listening to and pitched ads for me also for erectile disfunction-type medications. I had a laugh with friends over that. I have also discovered "oldies" I never knew about and have honed an appreciation for some newer artists.
I think the urge and need for hits in order to monitize, YouTube video creation as a chore rather than a joy is what has gotten to these content creators.
I think they do need to move on and others will try to take their place.
For the viewer, YouTube video watching can become an addiction.
A decade or more on a subject is a whole lot. Let's say goodbye to them with sincere well wishing.
Christine Trzyna
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