The fatal flaws of YouTube
In Part 2 of our examination of YouTube, Elizabeth zooms out and zooms back in again on what is wrong with her generation’s main source of information and entertainment, and why they’ll keep watching anyway.
Here are some of the things we talk about:
- Part 1 - The cons and cons of YouTube
- Timeline:
- 2002: Elizabeth is born.
- 2005: YouTube is born.
- 2006: Google buys YouTube.
- Flaw 1 - Copyright confusion
- YouTube copyright strikes
- Somehow, Leprechaun 4: In Space is still available
- Flaw 2 - Demonetization
- PewDiePie and anti-Semitic stunts
- Boring-to-teens but safe channels like Jimmy Kimmel
- Demonetization of LGBTQ content
- Flaw 3 - The algorithm
- Values longer videos, which hurts animators
- Elizabeth was mysteriously unsubscribed to The Bible Reloaded (now called Hugo and Jake)
- She does not want to receive meme compilations on YouTube (but we did do a whole episode about memes)
- How to end up in an right-wing echo chamber via autoplay
- What we mean by “Spider-Man and Elsa” (NSFW, not safe for kids)
- Lindsay Ellis’s channel
- Hank Green’s tweets about YouTube and authenticity
- Our Team 10 episode, to remind you of Jake Paul (sorry)
- Shane Dawson’s business is to restore authenticity
- Just like reality TV and wrestling, YouTube thrives on breaking kayfabe
- The fall of Onision
This episode is brought to you by two new podcasts that you should check out: Back To School Again, presented by NorQuest College, and Let's Do Coffee, from NAIT's Mawji Centre.
That's a Thing?! is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network, powered by ATB. Shoutout to our friends at 2 and Out and Let’s Find Out, and to Auntie Kate for helping out at 2 and Out Live.
You can subscribe to us in all the places, and most of them let you rate and review, too, which would be lovely.
Questions? Comments? Email us at thatsathingyeg@gmail.com or tweet us: @thatsathingyeg.
You can subscribe to us in all the places, and most of them let you rate and review, too, which would be lovely.
Questions? Comments? Email us at thatsathingyeg@gmail.com or tweet us: @thatsathingyeg.
Our theme music is Ragtime Dance by Scott Joplin.