The Downfall of YouTubers

By: Timothy H.

As many have taken notice, YouTube is not as it used to be. For the past years and just in recent years, people have been calling that YouTube and YouTubers have been going downhill. They are being met with copyright strikes, demonetisation, and obstacles while producing content. But the effects on YouTubers and the entertainers are hitting nationally--making it harder for entertainers to produce any type of content.

Entertainers are being forced to change. Guidelines are getting more rigorous by having to go through so many more things to even produce the simplest of content. In the article “YouTube Is Failing Its Creators”, Patricia Hernandez explains, “Videos are a time-consuming endeavor, and many creators like to handle every aspect of production by themselves. And because the product isn’t simply footage, but a personality, as well, it is not enough to simply create a compelling video.” When looking at it at face value, it just makes things harder for them as humans to manage affairs. It might affect them mentally, physically, and other ways.

Another problem they have to face is the fear of getting demonetized. That means a yellow dollar sign icon meant that a video was indeed completely demonetized because it wasn't suitable for advertisers. For the system on YouTube is broken and is not working for them in a good way anymore. In the same article “YouTube Is Failing Its Creators”, Patricia Hernandez says “Beyond the taxing nature of producing content, YouTubers are at the mercy of a platform they do not fully understand. Sometimes, videos will explode on the platform, but more often than not, they’ll be demonetized, or won’t be surfaced to the subscribers who want to see them, meaning that a YouTuber might go through a lot of painstaking work just to end up dead on arrival.” It is even more taxing for them to have to worry about everything they produce as entertainers; which is not right as they should be posting content as something they enjoy not dread.

In addition copyright strikes given to them for many things they don’t deserve. It says on “Verge”, website in the article “YouTube’s copyright strikes have become a tool for extortion”, Shoshana Wodinsky says“Troublemakers have also used YouTube’s copyright system to punish smaller channels.” It’s not right for people to be able to do that. It should be left up to people that will not misuse that power.

Overall, it’s not looking so hot for the creators and they will have even more problems in the future. The problems of this downfall should be looked at and fixed. Or at least tried to be fixed instead of doing nothing for them. They are putting the entertainers in a place where they are trapped and can do nothing about the problems for themselves and their channels. For entertainers, this is no laughing matter. They are people too, and should be treated like it.