as someone who's not a content creator at all--i actively avoid shorts and reels because i know its all reposted content from somewhere else, and i don't want to allow reposters to monetize my views when all they've done is steal.
as a creator on ig there is actually alot of reels that ppl make specifically for instagram, especially if they dont use tiktok. But ppl definitely do still repost
I watch shorts from people I know own the content cause it's nice sometimes for a quick laugh and I don't want to get tiktok just for the same experience
I had tik tok for over a year before deleting it and I can’t name a single creator I followed. I consumed a ton of their content, but none of it made an actual impact on me. It’s mindless consumption, mostly. TH-cam though? Jenna Marbles, Safiya & Tyler, Abroad in Japan, Yes Theory… so so many creators I’ve been watching for years that have been positive “influences” on me.
Big part of it is that tiktok thrives on short attention spans. They want you to be scrolling past things as quickly and as efficiently as possible (even with their new 10 minute video length). So every video is made to be as fast and quickly-digestable as possible. Unsurprisingly, such videos are relatively light on impact and retention. It's no wonder creators see so little follow through.
The fyp shows you what you like to watch, there are niches on Tiktok that I have found really informative & there definitely are creators who get known from Tiktok where people know their name
@@MapleLeafAce agreed. Plus I never specially sought out tik tokers because I was excited about their content. I just let the for you page do its thing. Whereas with TH-cam I specifically go to someone’s page and binge a bunch of videos.
@@GlamGoddes101 I definitely remember my algorithm working really well. I was wasting too much time on the app, which is why I deleted it. But even despite that, I can’t remember most creators. I could probably recognize certain faces or the general content they made, but if you asked me their name or to describe a specific tik tok they made, I couldn’t tell you.
This! I saw so many reports of a lot of influencers from tiktok who had a big follow count, who went to vidcon but no one came to see them, for the very reason you mentioned!
When everyone's an influencer, no one is an influencer. Social media allows anyone to become an influencer, it's no longer an exclusive club that is incredibly hard to break into.
The translation into commercial success is a lot different on tiktok though. There are tons of relatively unknown people with several hundred thousand followers, or even a couple million, who are still just working regular jobs. This is mainly because tiktok has a single finite Creator Fund from which all funded creators are paid from, meaning diminishing returns as the number of funded creators goes up. Whereas with TH-cam, once you break past 250k subs, the payout from TH-cam/adsense revenue becomes close to livable and you can start transitioning to doing it full time. Plus the reach and retention on TH-cam is miles better.
@@MapleLeafAce I have never even opened up Tick Tock, just seems like a lot ov silliness aimed towards little kids. I am sure I am very wrong about that.i just don't really care. Far more entertainment in watching videos on YT going into deeper information about stuff I actually care about. But perhaps I am missing some intellectual content on TickTok
I will say, this "ease of followers" does not count for a lot of other kinds of creators. It is harder and harder, for example, to make a sustainable following as an artist or illustrator on social media, because social media is becoming intentionally more inhospitable if you are not the kind of influencer that makes the brands (and therefor the platform) money. You are literally fighting against an algorithm that does not want you (mostly talking about instagram)
Yes. Constantly leaving Instagram and trying again for this reason through the years. tried everything i could on tiktok as well but only got passed a few thousand followers before my account got incorrectly flagged ruining all my momentum
Not to mention the amount of time that takes to create art. You can't just push a new piece everyday. The aspect of fun experimentation with different techniques, new themes, new styles gets completely booted out in favor of drawing the same stuff over and over.
A friend of mine is a photographer and she just about quit instagram, because yes, it's a great way to advertise your stuff, but the algorithm is extremely punishing when you post irregularly. And obviously posting new photos from photoshoots every few days is near impossible unless you only give out the tiniest tidbits each time.
Honestly I find it funny that Emma says she doesn't want to make content anymore by making content in the form of a podcast, the most (in the past couple years) popular move for literally every influence
Lmao even Swell is doing podcasts now. Not sure how into the choice I am due to how ubiquitous podcasts are now, but it's her career, she can do what she wants.
@@PanicattheDiscourse because it's probably a lower cost of entry to get some company to let you brand their stuff as your own than it is for cosmetics or something
Tbf, rambling and discussing topics on end is different from doing life style vlogs and posting outfits on Instagram. Though it is still content, at the very least people are solely interested with your discussions and opinions, things that are specific to the individual. While doing life style vlogs are replicable, long winded discussions with a guest arent. Although you do have a point that so many influencers are making podcasts. While everyone may have different reasons, imo I think the core reason for using that format is because TH-cam as a platform is not well suited for extremely long talks, editing, research and all. Making a podcast is more free with what you can talk about that otherwise they probably couldnt on their regular TH-cam channel or platform of choice because it doesnt align with their existing feed. Though, its pretty annoying if an influencer would just make a podcast bcs everyone is doing it. Like creators make one because they couldn't normally talk about more serious topics on their regular channel. The discussion of quality is entirely different though 😅
I personally get the vibe that people are going to TH-cam now for more longform content. I think people that do video essays or analysis style videos do well because people want something that has more meaning. I put on TH-cam all the time when I am cleaning my house or grading papers and I think it has replaced basic cable and putting on like SVU in the background like you would have in the 90s or 2000s. I also wonder how well Tik Tok influencers will last because I don’t feel like the format of TikTok allows you to get a good idea of personality the way TH-cam does. On a TH-cam video you usually spend at least seven minutes with the influencer whereas in TikTok world you usually spend like one minute with them. It is a lot harder to be memorable and to develop a parasocial relationship with someone when you get a very small taste of them
I actually love TH-cam shorts for this exact reason. Like having a clip of a longer video makes me actually want to watch the entire video when I have time. But sometimes I only have the mental capacity for a short video on a larger topic.
I do the same. Pick a video half an hour to two hours long and put it on over speakers as I clean/tidy/sort out banking etc. if somethings interesting with visuals I’ll pop over to the screen for some context and then get on with what I’m doing. I think the major difference between that and the Tiktok style is that in a hour of video you get a lot more out of a content creator. It’s a better personal connection and understanding. You can watch something on the same topic and it’ll be completely new. Tiktok seems to be very repetitive and it’s short and repetitive. There’s definitely some people I’ve seen do more with it. But they tend to be people who can also make longer videos in a more TH-cam style. If you’ve sat listening to someone’s research and opinions on something for over an hour. You’re gonna be far more interested in that creator than the person doing what everyone else is for 10 seconds. It’s logical to me
Video essays and/or analysis style do well on TH-cam? I’m pleased to hear this as my background is in essays and analysis and for my TH-cam channel I am looking to do a combination of both.
Well said. I also gravitate towards watching TH-cam content over really short-form content (Like Shorts or TikTok) because there's only so much I can get out of such short videos. Longer form videos can actually delve into topics or ideas I find interest in and feel more meaningful to me. Really short videos might easier to share with a friend but they don't have the same kind of staying power in my head.
As a viewer, it's really hard to get attached to a short-form creator until you've consistently watched their content. Following someone on TikTok has the same impact as you liking a Facebook page but opting not to see their content often. Also, I noticed OG content creators stayed longer on TH-cam because they either created a strong following enough for them to post whatever content they want, or they morphed into companies with dozens of employees who can take turns churning content without the risk of burning out
And even then, a lot of the I just watch for the journey, not the person. I follow this girl whose turning a pony box into a bakery, but once she finishes, I probably will stop watching. I also followed a girl who was making a belle dress, but then she finished it, and I haven't watched her since. I don't remember her name, so i can't even look her up know.
@@sofiasofia-em the level of attachment you'll have to a creator also depends on the type of content they make or they're known for. Personally, I tend to stick with commentary channels whose approaches are more comedic than preachy, whereas I just passively watch random no-talk cooking, carpet cleaning or lawnmowing channels without subscribing or even liking them because there's no personality to hold on to (except for this one no-talk cooking channel where he presented his way of cooking like an RPG through silly actions and visuals)
Or the 3rd, they adapt perfectly. Take example, Lemmino, he make a name during the times where everyone and their mother make top 10 videos. His doing it in meme format, so it's quite enjoyable. And then the top 10 interest died down, Lemmino is smart enough to notice this and what he do? Make a S-Tier documentary, it's so good I have hard time believing that he's doing that alone.
My personal take on this is actually that I, at 26, just don't want to meet the people I watch online. For example, I enjoy the content you make and the way you present it but what worth would there be in meeting you personally? That sounds harsher than it was supposed to but in the end it is like you said a parasocial relationship. You don't know me and I only know what you tell in the videos. We are not friends. This is more a business transaction for me. I look for entertainment, you give it to me and thousands of others. Done.
I feel the same at 27. And tbh, I've never considered VidCon to be meant for people in their mid to late 20s anyway. Even back in the 2010s, I remember most people attending Vidcon were around 16-20 year olds. I think influencers, especially youtubers/TikTokers, are forgetting that their fans are either going to be around their age, or be vastly younger than they are. And I have a feeling the vast majority of fans for TikTok are under 18, maybe even under 16.
Ditto. Just because I enjoy people's content doesn't mean we'd be compatible as friends or heck, even hold a conversation longer than "hey I really love your work!" I've also made the mistake of looking up some of my favorite youtubers on Twitter. And boy, nothing knocks the glamor off your favorite youtuber like watching them go on several petty, ill-informed rants on Twitter.
im 20, and granted it may be the autism, but i feel this same way. i know i’m not friends with anyone i consume the content of so meeting them in person would just be strange, i know all these people but they have no clue who i am, and cool we could still do the “hey i love your work” “wow thanks” “okay bye” but that’s the most genuine you could be with someone you have a parasocial relationship with
@@jessip8654 "also made the mistake of looking up some of my favorite youtubers on Twitter. And boy, nothing knocks the glamor off your favorite youtuber like watching them go on several petty, ill-informed rants on Twitter." Oh, my god, this! ^ 100x THIS! ^ Seriously, I don't think I'll *ever* forget the times where I have to look up a youtuber who makes interesting videos and shares common interests with me that had actually turned out to be some pompous, self-righteous/holier-than-thou, arrogant would-be know-it-all type of person. Heaven forbid, that anyone out there that even DARES to challenge, or at the very least, disagrees with, a certain popular TH-camr for any reason, it's then at that point where either the 'fans' of that TH-camr, or even the TH-camr themselves, will make it seem like that THEY'RE the ones who are being attacked by that one 'none-believer' and will absolutely defend tooth and nail for what THEY believe is right/is the correct way.
I feel like a lot of people over the age of about 20 feel the same way. the only reasons that an event like this would appeal to someone like me (not a content creator and not interested in meeting anyone) would be the panels or q&a sessions, but most panel content is stuff that is still accessible and enjoyable online after the con, and audiences can still ask creators questions in comments on social media or on sites like twitch if the creator is small enough.
Honestly part of the issue is that social media websites are trying to compete with each other by *being* each other. Facebook is trying to *be* TikTok, Same for IG and YT. Rather than just cultivating their own niche and competing that way, they're trying to compete by having the same exact features and working their algoritm in the same exact way. Rather than YT focusing on and *improving* their long form content, they're trying to introduce shorts and stories. Rather than IG trying to focus on and *improving* image sharing, they're pushing a hellish algoritm wehre you have to share stories, reels *and* post almost daily. Rather than trying to compete in a way that is meaningful for consumers and improves user friendliness, they're trying to be "the one" platform everyone uses when for creators that kind of algoritm just isn't sustainable.
I do believe that shorts enhances the viewing experience however. I remember watching a funny clip of one of Anthony Padilla’s interviews and decided to check out the video. That short clip allowed me to find content I otherwise would’ve ignored. Same goes for a channel called PewDiePie highlights where I am full of so much nostalgia for 2016-2019 pewds that those short clips kinda give small reminders of why I enjoyed his channel so much in the first place. You’re right though that TH-cam is doing less to fix up their long form and seems to be neglecting it in favor of short form. Livestream discovery on TH-cam is trash, long form is mid, and shorts are getting all the attention and care rn. TH-cam could literally whoop Twitch and TikTok’s ass if they could integrate these three forms of content seamlessly. Imagine seeing a short of a livestream currently happening, so you decide to check it out. Or watching a short of long form, so you watch the long form (that kinda happens though but it’d be nice if you could tap on the video after the short is over). TH-camrs already make edited cut down long form of their 6 hour livestreams which proves to be a successful formula.
"The Last Great Year of VidCon" being 2017 also coincides with when the Green brothers/Complexly sold VidCon to Viacom in 2018. People in content creation actually planning and hyping up VidCon probably made it much more in line with what audiences and creators wanted.
The difference between how we as audiences interact with youtube versus tik tok is so interesting. I never find myself purposefully "manipulating" the yt algorithm but with tik tok I often follow or comment on a specific video just because I want the algorithm to know I wanna see more of this kind of content or not interacting with a tik tok not because I didn't like it but because that's not the type of content I want to see all the time. Also, I haven't seen take a break reminders in soooo long I assumed they got rid of them.
As someone who hasn't ever used ticktok, I have to an extent tried to play the yt algorithm. For example I like chess but wouldnt dare watch a chess video on my main account because it's in a category that if you watch one chess video it will appear on your home for months.
I saw one the other day but it showed up way later than it normally would. Looks like they are playing them less. Likely from a combo of needing the ad space and people complaining about them.
Social media creators need to look at Emma Watson for a reality check. She’s an internationally known celebrity who, after the age of 10, could have never worked a single day for the rest of her life and live very comfortably off of her earnings from acting for the Harry Potter enterprise. She did not rely on continued roles in the realm of media. She used some of her earnings to study at Brown University and get her bachelor’s degree. Even when her infamy in the fickle entertainment industry dwindles she chose her next moves wisely and have a solid career opportunity outside of media. Many of these “influencers” make enough money ten times over to pursue an education to fall back on but they just spend their money like it’s going to be this everlasting gig with continuous windfalls of wealth.
This!!! This is what I’ve been thinking for the longest time. These young people are getting all this money and they are blowing it on material things. Take the ace family, they blew all their money and now they are reverting to scam behavior. And they have three children to care for and whose futures are in jeopardy because of their greed.
I totally agree with you on that you can be making similar content as other people, but what sets you apart is YOU. But the problem I find especially with this newer generation of content creators (especially lifestyle/beauty/vlogs) is that they're basically just imitating the content creators THEY grew up watching. And being on TH-cam myself for over ten years I'm finding "unique" personalities to be very few and far between these days 🫠 so that’s why I watch all your videos lolol I could listen to you talk about anything. Cos im interested in YOU.
The fact that the internet has been reduced to the same 5 websites for everyone means that all the power is in the hands of the platforms. They use up creators like tissue paper and they don't care because every teenager wants to be a TH-camr or TikTok star like their idols and they'll come replace them. The audience has no power because they have no choice. You HAVE to go to one of these 5 sites to get your entertainment; the alternative is to just not be online. It's a massive monopoly problem.
There are a few independent options made by content creators (KevOnStage Studios, to name one), and their content is solid and a much healthier representation of people as a whole, but it’s hard to compete with the behemoths of today.
Just like when people used to move to LA or NYC to be a movie star. They get used up and tossed to the side and the .01% who make it are either insiders or sell their souls for the fame.
I've never used tik tok but by the way Amanda describes it, it sounds like tik tok creators might be better off thinking of a majority of their follower count in the same way you would think of a 'like' on a video, thousands of people can do it, but it doesn't necessarily translate to a large amount of long-term consumers of your content if that makes sense Very interesting video! 😊
this is why i really value youtube and long-form content like yours. i genuinely enjoy the content of everyone i am subscribed to and pretty much watch every video they put out. i have been off of tik tok for a while and could not tell you a handful of people that i was followed to but i could list most of the people i’m subscribed to on youtube and actively watch. idk, i see the shift that you’re talking about happening and while it’s concerning i hope there are more people out there who are committed to monitoring the content they consume, and that idk maybe instagram and youtube will go back to focusing on creating good user experiences for what their apps are good for. i.e. photo & video. i’m also in my mid 20s so i’ve had time to figure it out/have been on all of these platforms for a long time and have a better perspective on the shift than younger audiences do. can’t even imagine being in my early teens right now.
Han, I really like your point. I'm still active on TikTok and have seen a slow growth, only recently hitting 150 followers, and yet, I can't name even half of who I follow. I've mainly been using it as a way to figure out what content will do well and where I should focus my own content creation, but I do miss making long form videos.
@@renee8833 that would be so nice. i’ve been using VSCO for a while which just uses likes and reshares, and there are no like or follow counts. it’s really nice for looking at nice photos real people take, but not as good for community as there are no comments!
@@RinaLoProduction that makes a lot of sense! im sure it’s really hard to gauge and keep up with trends as i think Swell mentioned, best of luck to you!
im pretty sick of TH-cam actually, because of the neverending complaints from "TH-camrs" about Youtue, the constant self-censoring because they need ad money, and just the complete low effort stuff. It's tiring, it's boring, and it's outlived it's entertainment value.
The things that drives me nuts about platforms copying short form content from tiktok, is they don’t seem to try to build a compatible algorithm. Like THAT’S the driving factor that makes tiktok work so well. I scroll and 9/10 videos are relevant to what I like watching. I scroll on reels and it’s like 2/10 and I see the same video 20 times instead of new ones. TH-cam shorts doesn’t give a single fuck about why I clicked the one I did and is throwing spaghetti at the wall and I immediately click out of it. But also, I don’t always want to watch TikToks. Sometimes I want to let a longer video play in the background while I work. Stop trying to change what I come to a platform for because the new kid on the block is doing well doing their thing.
It’s crazy how thrown together TH-cam shorts are. I’ll click on a sketch someone made then two videos down it’s suddenly some crypto advice from a former celebrity on a podcast I’ve never heard of.
I've been actively trying to cultivate my reels algorithm, and it's a battle. I get tons of videos that are unrelated to anything I've watched, and I frequently have to scroll past 5 or more videos to find anything I'm interested in
I mean- nobody I know actually care about the creator behind the tiktok, the video is so short, and usually a repeated joke, that they aren't really all that special. And with the FYP scrolling non-stop, I'll pass by 20 people and they all just merge together. No one stands out, or can stand out. How am I suppose to get attached to someone I watched for 20 seconds? I think the only exception are perhaps the illustration artists promoting their webcomic/store/art, but average vlogers, eh dime a dozen.
I can see the point where the only long term goal for tik tok is brand deals. Tumbler, youtube and deviantart take the decent and not do decent artists, tiktok takes the brand deals and Instagram is model and fast fashion country. Facebook and deviantart dies within 10 years
I think most Influencers might need to see themselves like Athletes when it comes to career longevity and money management. Get to a highpoint, make your bank, don't overspend or buy what you can't afford to maintain if the next day it's all gone. "Being a professional athlete can be extremely rewarding and lucrative. However, a stark 78% of them will go broke after just 3 years of retirement, Craig Brown, an NKSFB Sports Business Division partner, told FOX Business' "Mornings with Maria" on Wednesday.Feb 2, 2022"
Tik tok also has a weird way of “showing” you the content of people you follow. It’s like when you follow someone the app removes all of their content from your for you page and puts it on your following page. But the thing no one goes to their following page because the app open on the fyp, so you basically loose the content by following someone. I remember one there was a girl on my fyp that bought a paintable dollhouse from micheals and would make multiple part tik toks decorating each room. I saw like every post of her doing that, like parts 1-5 in sequential order, on my fyp without following her but then when i did follow her I never saw her again until I manually checked her page to find she had upwards of 8 or 9 more parts. I didn’t see those because I followed her. At least on TH-cam vids from people you’re subbed to will show up on your home page. Maybe that’s why people on tik tok complain so much about being “shadowbanned” because they’re just being put on peoples following page and not their fyp
TH-cam needs to adapt the way they measure creator success to the new, older demographic that is still here. It's ridiculous that I'm considered by the platform as a "lesser" subscriber simply because I can't watch a video in the first hour it was published. People need to work, they can't be glued to their screens all the time, and the fact that these platforms not only don't take that into account but also stimulate the opposite, which is dangerous in many many levels, is disheartening and disrespectful.
Very true. Like, i do not watch that 3 hour video in the first hour. But will i watch it? Bet ya. I will work through it over a week, and i will watch it completely and engage with the content. Just slowly. Because to me youtube is my tv channels.
The older you are the less disposable income that you have so your not the advertisers target 🎯 demographics that’s all🧐🧐👀👀🤷🏽♀️🤷🏽♀️💁🏽♀️💁🏽♀️🤦🏽♀️🤦🏽♀️🤦🏽♀️!!!!!
I honestly hate shorts on any platform. I get headaches from repetitive sounds so when short videos loop, its torture. And I hate the ones without a slide bar to play back something so if its a slightly longer short you have to sit through and wait for it to replay. I just prefer longer anyway. I tend to play them when I do other things and you can get more in depth with longer videos.
sat next to a micro "influencer" at govball and she had to prepare mentally for the fake enthusiasm she showed on camera. it seemed incredibly tiring and she mentioned to her friend when she stopped recording that this brand only called her the day of the festival because they had an extra ticket. she then recorded three clips of her thanking this brand for the ticket. I'm poor and ugly so I was in General Admission inhaling a funnel cake on my own dime
I remember back in like 2009 or something it was such a big deal that Ryan Higa reached 1 million subscribers / was the most subscribed to TH-camr. Now most videos recommended to me are channels (whether it’s a company, group, or individual) who have anywhere from 250k-5m+ subscribers so it seems much more common on social media now to have a lot of followers/subs but not necessarily a lot of “fans” (which makes sense why a TikToker with 1m+ followers has nobody at their meet-and-greet)
So many people who actually have ADHD, like myself, are actually fully or partially choosing to opt out of social media, so that's really dumb on the platforms part.
As someone who has been making videos since literally the first year of TH-cam's existence, it'll never stop feeling weird and sad every time I meet a new creator, or would-be creator, and their primary motive for making videos is hoping to get rich and famous. I get it, who WOULDN'T want to be rich and famous (other than the stalkers, the creator burnout, etc etc etc but those don't feel like real problems until you experience them firsthand)? But it still makes me sad because youtube started off as a place by the weirdoes, for the weirdoes. Now it's "for the weirdoes but only the 'lol so random' marketable ones," while doing any actual sort of experimentation or art is extremely unlikely to ever get found and watched by anyone, not unless you spend a lot of time and/or money advertising it elsewhere, which defeats the whole "low point of access, avante garde, adventurous spirit" that it started out with. Oh well, that's capitalism baby...
As a loyal 10+ year enjoyer of TH-cam and someone that does not use TikTok, here’s my perspective: the YT algorithm has my taste down to a T, and I’m anal about keeping it that way. Like, I’ll go incognito when looking up a video that’s outside of my normal taste for fear of YT recommending me videos like it. The idea of the FYP on TT is my nightmare. I want to see who I follow first and foremost, with occasional suggestions. TT was clearly not made for me so I only consume it through YT or videos my friends send me.
Follower count and content preference has everything to do with the average age of the user for each platform. Younger people are more likely to open an app multiple times throughout the day and look at content for a short period of time (resulting in many short videos like on tiktok or IG stories). While older people tend to have day jobs and/or be busy most of the day. So when they watch a video it's usually in the evening when they get home and want to relax so they have time to watch longer form content and might be watching while doing other things (house chores, laundry ect.) So longer videos where they don't need to have the phone in their hand and continue manually scrolling is better. You can just make a "watch later" playlist and hit play on the TV in the living room and continue cooking dinner or whatever. The "influencer dying" thing is more about creators aging out of their content and missing the opportunity to gain a new demographic. There is always someone younger who hasn't been burned out by overused formulas and ads.
I think this is partially true, but it doesn't explain the "influencer dying" endemic. That would suggest that adults preferring long form content is a new occurrence, when in actuality, long form creator fans have often been watching since they were kids themselves. It can't be that it's just that teens prefer short form AND that creators are just aging out of their fanbase.
I think the main shift to short form content is that creators now get followers, but not fans. If that creator burns out, they’re replaceable, the followers don’t build a connection with them. People are no longer making conscious decisions about what to watch, they just react to what they’re presented with. I started a TH-cam channel and I get most of my views and subscribers from shorts. I’ve just given up on long form content tbh. Many other creators I’ve spoken to are encouraging me to leave TH-cam and just make content on TikTok, and they find it much easier to get views and followers there. I haven’t done it (yet). I think short form content moves the power and money back to the platform and I think it’ll become harder to make a living as a creator. (Sorry! I really enjoy your channel!)
I was about to deny this. But for the creators I genuinely follow because I like their content, they could post nothing for days and I wouldn't notice. Suddenly they reappear on the shorts and I'm like "Oh yeah. You exist." I could watch reels or shorts for an hour, maybe remember ONE and still have no idea what it was about. But I'll remember the jingle/song/soundbite from those shorts. It's hard to get "into" new creators unless you make the effort to follow them based on their format. I hate tiktok and the short-form. It's too easy to get overwhelmed and not carr.
@@vanessar.6085 unfortunately I have noticed that for some creators I follow, their long form content is not getting the views it used to (they bring it up in their videos). I feel like the long form videos that still do very well are the “spectacle” genre, like MrBeast giving away a million or whatever.
@@LucyStokesOceansofNotions honestly I dont think thats true, vids that only get hundreds of thousands and not millions are technically better than tiktoks that get millions, because usually those views on youtube vids have more chance to end in someone sticking around. Tiktok is like being a stick in a river, tons of water flows by but hardly any is the same around you. Plus vids on YT usually do worse because no one watches things, they all give up and go back to tiktok, it just takes a little more looking to find the stuff you like with longform content and it feels like hardly any people are willing to put in the effort because they think the only good content is on Tiktok...
As a musician trying to use social media as a marketing tool, I'm super glad I came across this video! Gave me a lot of good insight into the inner workings to social media as it has evolved to this point. Definitely got my follow!
I'm a cosplayer. I have an IG account that is purely for cosplay and I made a tiktok that was purely for cosplay. My IG is just under 300 followers. My tiktok had 8-9k followers when I quit. I think I've gotten less than 50 IG followers from my tiktok account, and I had the IG info in my bio and made a post about how I was quitting tiktok. (And the cosplay community tends to assume you have an IG or tumblr account in addition to whatever else, because it is so photo based.) I'm not trying to make money or celebrity off of my cosplaying, so when dealing with tiktok got more aggravating than enjoyable, I quit. This is going to make me sound so old, but I don't like how quickly the internet is moving these days. I honestly miss bulletin boards and forums, haha.
Also that reality show based on influencers sounds like my idea of hell. A genre of tv show based on a fake distorted view of reality filled with people who are successful by giving a fake distorted few of themselves and everything they do. Not getting cast in that would be a very good thing.
Things I want TH-cam to learn from TikTok: 1. Licensed music 2. Weirdly specific algorithm 3. Video replies 4. Brands being forced to meme to fit in What TH-cam DID learn from TikTok: haha short video go brrrrrrrr
Patreon. I think that’s an area to talk about. Because very few tiktokkers mention Patreon, but every TH-camr does. People willing to pay money to support content creators and also get more content and more access to their favorite creator.
I'm doing a research paper on educational content on various platforms as an extension of my Master's thesis, and I cannot express how valuable this video is for me. You express some ideas I've been musing on when looking at TikTok educators migrating to TH-cam and viewer numbers. Anyway great video, thanks so much for inadvertently helping with my research!
I just wanna say something I’ve noticed is that I think influencers that are in a smaller community or create content niche interest stay a lot longer than regular influencers. I feel like since they are in such a niche group there’s Not as many contact creators making the same stuff, so the people who are looking for contact about this niche interest Stay more with the influencer that contact. It might just put me but I feel like those communities are a lot more tighter than some of the more bigger influencers.
This is mostly how artists on platforms stay afloat. They create a interesting or versatile art style and create and draw skits and stories with them and post big projects in between. Because you won't find that art style or that sense of humor anywhere else you find yourself not being able to past them up, versus a skit or pov done by a generically pretty white girl in dime a dozen clothes and locations
I got rid of TikTok when I realized I was spending way too much time scrolling and not gaining anything. I wasn't even being entertained. I was being distracted from things I needed to work through at that point in my life. I got rid of Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat too. I went back to TH-cam for my digital content and like the long form content but since they added shorts I slip into watching them for hours again and I'm super upset. I hate that there is a separate tab for shorts but they display them on the home page too. I understand they're trying to compete with other platforms but it seems cheap. I'm really curious to see long term studies on brain function and social interactions as this becomes normal because the short term studies are already interesting.
I really hate to say it, but half of the time, I don't actually remember the names of the tiktokers i watch. So if I saw their name on a meet and greet, I wouldn't even recognize who it was? Most of the time, I use tiktok as a way to find streamers to watch on twitch by watching clips of them or a place for fandom/ fanworks such as cosplay. I think a lot of people consider tiktok as a place to advertise themselves on other platforms/ a springboard to content on other platforms, etc
The fact that you even remember names means a lot. I don't remember any random TikTokers I see on the explore page. Sometimes I don't even realize I'm looking at a video from someone I follow on there.
I always feel bad whenever friends send me links to tiktoks bc I don't have the app downloaded. It's not that I find tiktokers annoying, far from it actually, but the way it's just constant scrolling and there's no breathing room to take in what has been viewed is a bit of a turn off for me. I've since dubbed the content of tiktok as "fast comedy" and it's really not for me, long form videos are more comfortable imo
I don't think the influencer/content creator is dead, rather if you want to be a lifestyle/ skincare/analysis/craft creator, youtube is where it is. Twitch is where the gamers are and has the most active fandom at the moment. Make-up / Kitch (weird) / fashion creators have a mid-size dedicated following on TikTok, that is to say, that 1/5 or 1/10 of their followers will actively move to Instagram or youtube, where they can cultivate a more active following. But the test of the extreme following is the movement into the fandom, in this category, there is fanfiction/fan art of a creator- and the only people I see these of at the moment are Minecraft /twitch streamers, footballers(soccer)/ Hockey/Formula Racing (they have a reality show), BTS/NCT (Really popular Kpop groups) and strangely One direction still. Also, I consider TikTok, the tumble of all the social media, great for discourse or finding new content, but not great for influencing.
Agreed. Theres a streamer I watch that says he got his ‘start’ by posting on TikTok, and then advertised more of the same content on a different platform (TH-cam and Twitch). It’s become a stepping stone for many creators to get their foot in the door and have an audience, but the bigger creators will move to other platforms to get their ideas across better (cant say everything in 1 minute or less, after all)
Jenna Marbles had a similar trajectory/arc as Emma, I am sure other “relatable” creators will have the same burn out and cynicism. Let’s hope Amanda doesn’t follow the same trajectory anytime soon.
I have adhd and can't stand the tiktok format. I uninstalled instagram because of the endless video scrolling. It made my adhd so much worse and I didn't want that. I genuinely believe tiktok and similar platforms is why there's been such an increase in adhd dxs, and while I don't blame those individuals for developing, like Amanda said, an artificial adhd, I do think people need to start being educated that this is what's happened to them and that it's reversible And the platforms need to take responsibility on that. Adhd tiktok is such an ironic piece of the internet imo
I do think when it comes to content creation, I think a big part of how long you and your content can sustain depends on your distance from more traditional forms of entertainment, cause for example TH-cam musicians, artists, actors to just name can more easily transition into mainstream fields of entertainment (even if still indie) and still make money off their content and themselves, than I would say a lot of purely "influencer" content creators, if that makes sense
Exactly. I, as a performer, want to create content, as well as other actors I know create different types of content in their spare time, but it isn't the only thing they want to create. I thnk the key to being a content creator is to find something you're passionate about. If you're just emulating others, it shows. But also showcasing your personality helps. If I love your personality, I'll watch your content if it differs from video to video.
this stuff is why i'm so glad i deleted tiktok 2 years ago. it was horrible for my mental state and even my relationship with my partner. hours of scrolling and getting angry or upset or insecure about the content i was seeing because it's just teenagers arguing or super pretty people. i lost a lot of my ability to conversate and i would literally just endlessly scroll my feed. if you still have it i really recommend getting rid of it for a week and seeing how much more fun stuff you can fill your time with.
the amount of people that i know that have had to delete tiktok (and then redownload it, the cycle repeats) for their own use management is pretty wild
honestly I've been trying out tiktok for the past 2 months or so as a musician and it was seriously affecting my mental health in a negative way. Every advice video tells you to follow the trends, post at least once, even 3 times a day, and that it's the only place where you can excuse quantity over quality. Meanwhile, I was making videos I didn't feel passionately about, I didn't even like my content. I was miserable and the videos weren't even doing that well. I've moved on to just posting when I feel comfortable and I feel so much better. I also decided to head back to youtube to make videos for fun! I totally agree with everything you said, because when I watch my favorite tiktokers it has always felt like there's a disconnect. There's a lot of valuable community building that other platforms offer that is missing from tiktok.
i think the reason why things like vidcon aren’t popular anymore is because internet culture has shifted from niche to common. there’s a huge demand and supply for internet entertainment to the point where it’s no longer unique, in fact NOT being up to date with influencers is uncommon. i remember in 2012-2013, knowing about youtubers and viners was uncommon, most people only kept up with mainstream celebrities. now everyone wants to be internet famous, and apps like tiktok make it easy.
I couldn't name almost anyone I fallowed when I still used TikTok before I decided it was destroying my mental health. But I can name so many TH-camrs and I actually care about them enough to talk about them in real life. I wouldn't talk about a tiktoker more than to describe a vid I thought was funny, but never about them in particular. I think brands are gonna skrew themselves if they stop working with TH-camrs in exchange for tiktokers cuz I think it takes investment in the creator to get someone to buy what they recommend. I just don't think enough people are invested in most of the tiktokers they fallow to buy like that. Btw Ive always loved the intro, the first time I saw it I enjoyed how unique and fun it was while keeping it short, sweet, and to the point
In regards to mental health, I absolutely agree. Tiktok is infested with career focused videos that try to push a narrative that *their* career is the correct one, and that any other career is bad. And they'll usually follow it up with arbitrary numbers with no proof, like "I'm 19 and I make 278 million bucks a year because I worked hard and you didn't." Most of it is probably just completely made up, but that doesn't change the fact that it causes a ton of self doubt in viewers.
I think that youtube gets people more invested in the person behind the video compar to tiktok. That say it may be more simple and having longer interaction with content creators may make people think more funneling of them.
I never got into tiktok. I really like keeping up with creators and seeing the ones I like. I hate when I watch a bunch of creators videos then follow them, then never see their videos again. It’s so frustrating, I think it’s a main reason why I have stuck to TH-cam.
You hit the nail on the head on so many points. Personally, I don't have a TikTok because I feel like I would become addicted to it, and that sheer volume of content would probably accelerate the rotting of my brain. TH-camrs feel more likable to me bc their long form content makes you feel as if you know them more, of course you're really only seeing what they want you to, so you should always take things with a grain of salt. Tiktok followings don't translate well to other social media in part bc of the attention spans of their followings. If someone watches less than a minute videos from a creator, they're gonna have a hard time wanting to watch them for 10+ mins. I think this can be seen with beauty tiktokers that move to youtube, they have more in depth reviews on youtube, but that audience got all they needed in 45 seconds, so why would they want to watch a 15 min video
I’m pretty sure the “take a break” reminders from tiktok are still around. The only reason I don’t get them now is because I put a time limit on tiktok, which I did about three weeks ago. But before I did that, I do clearly remember seeing those reminders
I feel like the difference between TikTok engagement vs TH-cam engagement is a similar difference to window shopping vs going into a store and actually purchasing a full outfit. With window shopping, I quickly go from store to store, checking out a thing here or there, maybe going as far as to touch a shirt to feel the material or hold it up to see if it’d fit, but I never go out window shopping with the intent to buy. TikTok is the same- I swipe and scroll and if there’s a person I really like I might go to their page (channel? Hell if I know) and watch a handful of their others or even all of them in a few cases. But I’ve never once even half considered buying merch or going to a meet and greet or trying to figure out their personality even on a parasocial level. It slides right off my brain and is gone. Purchasing an outfit is different though. I usually pick the stores I know I like, or discover a store by going through the whole thing and checking out pieces with intent. I’m there longer. I get a feel of the vibe of the store and build an outfit and, eventually, make a purchase because I was able to put things together. TH-cam’s the same- if I find a channel I like, I spend a longer time with them, both per video and by going to their channel and watching a few more. The longer form content gives me a chance to get a feel for the personality and vibes and make a connection, albeit parasocial. I have purchased merch from several youtubers and have either gone out of my way to meet them or had friends at cons get pictures or videos with them, because I know them and have that connection.
the inequality of followers across platforms has ALWAYS bugged me. I have 31k followers on TikTok but focus so much more on my TH-cam channel that has almost 9k. I've seen pages post ONE video (usually not their own) that blow up and end up having hundreds of thousands of followers. It's just not worth the grind for me over there, I got so burnt out on needing to make 3-4 posts a day to grow ... and my content is about making things, so basically they are asking me to make a ton more stuff in a much smaller timeframe that is even possible, and it's true that I feel like I've built a community on TH-cam whereas TikTok doesn't feel that way (at least to me) I also think because TikTok earlier on promoted that specific algorithm that 'the more you liked/followed/comment' on stuff you liked, the likely hood of you being shown that more increased. So I used to do the same with following whoever and liking whatever until one day I was like ... who are these people on my following page??? Why did I follow them? and I have to go back through their page to be like OH OK this is why
This video is actually very uplifting. For a while now I've felt like I'm the crazy one when I say I don't enjoy TikTok, Shorts, or Reels, and what I do enjoy is longer form content. All the short form videos feel like watching when you would see a funny commercial on TV. You might laugh or even remember it for a brief amount of time, but eventually you want to get back to the main program. In the same way, it's easy to click follow on a short vid creator but it's hard to be invested in what they do. Just like how you might think Flo the Progressive lady is funny but eventually you want to get back to the show with the character development that the commercial was interrupting.
Im struggling EVERYWHERE on social media! I just haven't become a slave by keeping up with an insane post schedule. I truly dislike how now creators are having to bend over backwards for all these algorithms, but the same algorithms dont actually help creators. It causes burnout like you mentioned, and makes it HARD for small creators to even break through to a larger audience. I used to easily get at least 10k a video a few years ago, now I can't even make it past 100 views.... It's terrible.
something i’ve never considered for a content creator meeting another content creator is the weird realization that the parasocial relationship is mutual
I just saw the "Hold on, you've been scrolling WAAAAY too long" tiktok the other day, so it's definitely still happening. I think, honestly, maybe it's working? It does remind me that I've been sitting, staring at my little screen, for at least an hour straight...
Do you guys remember Joana Ceddia? She was "oldschool" type of influencer with personality based content. Now she is gone(I'm not talking about her skin disease). Everything is cyclical, specially for personality based content creators like her. Your personality changes and there is only so many things a person can do with it Influencers are not going away or ending. They come and go.
FML Amanda this is one of your best video essays to date. Been with your channel since 2018 around 30k subs. Love it when you get into the sociology and economic mechanisms of social media. THANK YOU!!! Keep slaying girl. The audience is building with your talent.
You touched on this briefly, but TH-cam allows the audience to gauge the creators and really enjoy and take in the content TH-cam followers are a lot more likely to be actual fans because it's not rapid content I feel that's why a lot of older youtubers have taken to just uploading when they feel because they have security, but Tiktok is bad in so many ways including the grind of content and people going 'famous' for making a funny vs actually entertaining others
"We're all becoming tablet kids" for me it feels that way, where now I can't draw without background audio (ex: this video), the only break I get from social media is my job but every other moment feels like work still
i think the only thing that can really switch up the "influencer" cycle is doing youtube videos as a HOBBY with no goal of making it a JOB. most if not all the youtubers i watch are regular people with their own job outside of youtube and yet the quality of their videos is still consistent (if not always improving) to the point that i watch their videos for THEM and not because of the content. the consensus circa 2017/18 was that youtubers have to start branching out and touching other industries in order to stay relevant but i think its the opposite now. the moment it starts to get bigger than themselves is when i check out (which sounds cruel) but especially w content that is centered around being "relatable", i can't imagine myself going to the met gala or going on a late night talk show. also i still get those "you've been scrolling for way too long" tiktoks but only after maybe HOURS scrolling, but those ads. . . those are wayyyy more frequent, probably one every 5 tiktoks
I got randomly served your Ace Fest video (possibly because I watch a lot of scam busting a la coffeezilla and went on an Ace Family hate bender one night a year ago) and subscribed because of your voice and content. Back to the point of the video. I don’t think influencing itself is dying but I think platforms and companies are trying to re exert their power on content alongside a near saturation of new-tier creators from the pandemic so it’s a lot harder to get seen. You’re spot on with how the different metrics mean different things for each platform, and working in corporate America they will assume the one word means the one thing. Nuance is dead and we killed it.
In my opinion there is more respect for TH-camrs. This causes subscribers to want to support them more and with that support comes community. I don't deal with tiktok all that much but I don't care about the same 3 thousandth thot challenge video or the millionth lipsync. TH-camrs could be talking about the same subject even being on the same side of it but their videos are vastly different and show more effort. People can see that. So even though the internet moves fast creators are less disposable here.
I actually think this video is full of tons of amazing and spot on points. I also think it's hard to predict the future of the "influencer" but the TikTok phenomenon has definitely caused a shift and unfortunately sold a false dream to an already influence obsessed youth.
I think the estimated ratio between TH-cam channel subs vs. TikTok followers is like... 1 mil to 15-20 mil. It's so easy to press "follow" on a TikToker you like without actively paying attention to their content. Meanwhile on TH-cam, you have a better chance to bond with the content creator because you're watching long-form media that can extend your persona further than in a short video. Plus a lot of TH-camrs often have extensions of themselves like you mentioned; merchandise, entrepreneurial businesses, a collection of brands, etc. I wouldn't quite say influencers are dying, per se. But moreso adapting and "growing up," so to speak. I think Film Theory did a video about this effect on TH-cam, if I recall! Wonderful essay on this topic though.
I think if ur still trying to sell stuff based on ur looks or aesthetic things are gonna dry up fast. I’m sick of buying stuff and I’m damn sure sick of being sold a product everytime a scroll down the timeline. I think the content creator will live on but influencers may not
I think it also helps to remember that followers can be like, a range of folks from different countries, varying ages and overall interest in video-makers. So you gotta think about how many folks would travel for events like Vidcon, how far they'd travel and if it's even viable for them (I've heard flying anywhere as someone with mobility aids is untennable.). Ah well.
This video made me realize that there are plenty of content creators I recognize from tik tok, but I cant recall any of their names. If someone asked me “do you know x on TikTok?” I wouldn’t be able to tell you and sometimes when I think of a video I want to show a friend I can’t look it up because I don’t know the name of the creator, I just have to hope I saved it somewhere. Definitely adds to the increased disposability of influencers and the ticking clock on the relevancy of any given creator.
I’m someone who could only marginally be considered a “content creator” and have no skin in the game-and also refuse to get TikTok. I would definitely agree that there’s been a shift in influencer culture over the last 2 years since the pandemic started, but as it’s not over im not sure if there’s any quick definition for it. Several of the TH-camrs I regularly watch are transitioning to different content (mainly based on them just getting older), and Instagram has transformed into a really confusing space for me. In general I don’t consume a ton of new content-I stick to the people who I’ve been following and don’t usually go on the explore or trends pages. I won’t click on a new TH-camr in my home page unless the topic sounds really interesting. I will say that my consumption of short form content has increased (via shorts mostly), but my likelihood of subscribing to someone, even if I watch a few months of backlog of short videos, is just much lower. Somehow my brain places less importance on following for funny skits than my usual TH-cam fare, which are generally 20 min +
i have this exact same process, i hardly subscribe to short content despite watching a lot of it and all the shorts showing up in my sub tab is honestly annoying and i usually only watch comedian shorts content religiously
I remember from pre-Covid tik tok, that they’d make you unable to like videos after a certain period of time and they’d tell you to “take a break from liking for a little while” or sum like that. Since recently redownloading after deleting it during Covid, I’ve noticed that feature had been gone, even if I’ve been on the app upwards of an hour. It makes it a lot easier to scroll and lose track of time without a reminder that you’ve been on the app 3 hours straight
It was so interesting to me seeing the difference between dream smp fandom experience vs the rest of vidcon honestly lol As an older dsmp viewer nearing her 30s (god that pains me to say) who is also a fan of the dream smp ensemble I definitely feel like the reason this vidcon was especially younger is because of the age demographic of dsmp. Three of the most popular streamers on the smp were minors themselves when the pandemic was at its “peak” and when their channels blew up. Teens all over the world I imagine were looking for others who shared the feeling of how destructive this was to their young lives and here were 3 charismatic creators their age playing a game most of them also played or enjoyed as kids. They had that relatability factor and add in that they were telling a very engaging story (I believe Technoblade’s peak dsmp stream was over 800k viewers on TH-cam at one point) it was a lifeline for many viewers but especially the younger ones who felt just lost and alone. The dsmp community has so many little communities within it that you can find a “home” anywhere you look. There’s cosplay and Fanart and lore that people spend hours picking apart and then even authors who post beautiful stories inspired by what boils down to just a group of friends having fun. Sure there’s a ton of infighting but at the end of the day, it’s still a community and that vs the tiktokers I saw who had no one really show up for them shows that difference
As an ex-dsmp teenager fan, I definitely agree with this statement. It also helped how much fan content there was and how a bunch of it was very found-family or platonically focused which, as someone with family issues, was just really comforting for me. It is incredible how long dsmp kept my attention (almost two years!), and I attribute a majority of that to the characters and their relationships which each other which I had grown very attached to. GOD, especially technoblade (rest in peace) and Sleepy Boys Inc. But also, tangent here, its just crazy how widespread dsmp was, even in real life at my school. It became this topic all my friends and I could bond over, and straight up, the Head Girl of my school two years ago won the student council elections *because she made a bunch of technoblade references in her speech*
i much prefer long form videos, im always watching someone do video essays and such it really helps me stay focused on whatever when someones just talking passionately
I would love to see you talk to Tomska about this! It seems like an odd match up but he's been a very vocal part of the discussion about the rise and fall of popularity on youtube in particular, and has some first hand experience on how quickly things can fall apart/how people continue on. It could be really interesting to talk to people like Tyler Oakley too, maybe get some insight on how life changes when you become almost a scaled down version of how you used to run things. That core audience of people who care about you, they really do stick around, but it's crazy to see how fast the world changes when it decides to.
All the content that could be made Has been made - bottom line is Once ppl realized there’s money to made by being yourself- Everyone wants to make money from just being themselves- Case in point Your channel is based on You explaining subjects In your way ! You’re earning money by just being Yourself!!!!
I'm here for you, Amanda. I'm older than the tik tok audience & its just too much. Honestly, as someone who works with younger kids, the idea of making the micro content isn't doing any favors for attention spans (not shocking, I know. Also kinda off topic but moving on...). I'm a stan for long form content & really love my deep dive channels just like Swell!
the annoying thing abt tiktok is that even the following page still gives you an algorithm instead of giving you the chronological feed of who you follow
I feel like the future is going to be that brands companies and platforms realize that the world has just expanded the idea of community and popularity. It's not just your high school or workplace where you can have influence anymore, but just like in those days there will be successful or popular people. Our communities are just larger now and the norm going forward will be that you have access to a much greater social circle than before. but the popular girl in high school wasn't necessarily profitable investment..... could be, but you can't discern long term success simply based on numbers when everyone has access to a world wide audience. There will always be people with good ideas that stand out..... that's not simply popularity. I don't think they realize that the numbers don't really tell the whole story anymore.
I can confirm they still have "you've been swiping for a while" videos, but it does seem like less. I have though clicked "show me less of this". Also they specifically have ones that show late at night and instead of telling you to go outside, it tells you to go to sleep.
I did watch tiktok during the early pandemic phase. But eventually deleted it because all those I watched, had little to no personality. Recently I got into the documentary style TH-camrs and commentary youtubers like Eddy Burback, sixteenleo, Drew Gooden and Danny Gonzalez. and there is no denying that I am subscribed to Julien Solomita because of Jenna Marbles and watch old TH-camrs like Nigahiga and Simplynailogical. I guess its because there is more effort in their videos. Far more memorable than any of the tiktok influencers I watched a year ago. It's just sad that TH-cam is terrible to content creators.
Yea I feel like especially with the panaramic, the shift is in motion. People were able to quickly gain a following from jumping on the bandwagon with some luck and lots of freetime but now it's INSANELY oversatuated. From a creator standpoint (I'm an illustrator) having to keep up with new video centric demands is kinda annoying. Sometimes I do want to make a vid but like a lot of people it feels like just..busy work (in terms of reels and shorts I mean) But you have to do it to be seen. So folks who do care and folks who don't care so much oversatuate a new outlet very quickly and everything becomes homogeneous quickly. There's also that low barrier to entry like you mentioned where you can get in but the burnout or oversatuation will inevitabley catch up. And then the humbling of numbers vs reality. Part of me kinda wants the end of influencer to come cause it really just is too much at this point- from a follower and creator standpoint lmao- or at least some way to make platforms and people and creators of different practices more distinguishable. When someone really stands out then yea give them their flowers! But right now, especially when some that standout dont really get to standout numbers wise, some big shake up ought to happen. Lmao some Ragnarok shit In general- platforms being greedy and samey are to blame, not the creators who are just trying their best, and with everyone trying their best in the same format on the same platforms things get dull
I never really thought about it this way but the way you touched on how much a following on TikTok differs from one on TH-cam is crazy to me. As someone who doesn't make content, I never go on TikTok and think "I'm gonna watch _______ creator's videos". I usually just go on there to scroll through my for you page for some good laughs (and that's where the rabbit hole begins). But as someone who has a lot of favorite content creators on TH-cam, I often go on there with the goal of watching a certain creator. If I see that one of my favorite creators posted a video or get a notification, I will watch it. It's like routine for me. But with TikTok's algorithm, it's almost like the audience against the creator. We go on there because of this intoxicating algorithm that they've specifically curated for *us*...the *audience*. TikTok is mindless. It's intention is to have content fed to you instead of having to seek out content and form somewhat of a "connection" with the creator. Honestly, thinking about it too much makes me wanna throw my phone out the window, live in the woods, and go off the grid completely.
TikTok hates Art based content. For example- for me, even though in theory it should be easy to get followers on platforms such as TikTok I still struggle with that as the nature of my content being art based so I have been stuck below 50 followers for ages and yet to see a video of mine to get over 200 likes. The algorithm working against artists in particular makes it super hard to get any followers let alone an actual community which then makes it impossible to get commissions even though I am confident with my skills and need money. It’s sad to know the day when I get followers I will still not have a community that cares about my work
As an artist- it really sucks. No platform cares about artists. Twitter, instagram, tiktok- all actively work against us being seen. Twitter soft blocks anyone trying to get eyes on their art, their websites, or their patreons. Everyone always needs art and artists yet we get treated absolutely awful online. It’s like a trap- you’re told you have to use social media to even dream of making a living, and yet absolutely no platforms treat our work as valuable. Unless some reposter steals your work and gets 50k likes…social media use has also decimated my creative drive
It only took about... two or three videos here before I hit subscribe -- and I don't hit subscribe often on TH-cam. I could tell from how much effort and thought you took with the research and discussion that I would more or less appreciate the content made by you. I love your opinions and assessments
The moment Tik Tok starts to put on so many adds like instagram they will "die" too, and I honestly think will be faster than instagram. I work with social media and I haven't booked an influencer for about 3 months now, the companies are putting money and effort into their own accounts (insta and tik tok) and building their followers and not really going for influencer anymore.
as someone who's not a content creator at all--i actively avoid shorts and reels because i know its all reposted content from somewhere else, and i don't want to allow reposters to monetize my views when all they've done is steal.
There are a few creators who exclusively do shorts. Granted they’re all good creators
as a creator on ig there is actually alot of reels that ppl make specifically for instagram, especially if they dont use tiktok. But ppl definitely do still repost
It’s either shitty reposts or breaks the guidelines lines in multiple ways
This!!
I watch shorts from people I know own the content cause it's nice sometimes for a quick laugh and I don't want to get tiktok just for the same experience
I had tik tok for over a year before deleting it and I can’t name a single creator I followed. I consumed a ton of their content, but none of it made an actual impact on me. It’s mindless consumption, mostly. TH-cam though? Jenna Marbles, Safiya & Tyler, Abroad in Japan, Yes Theory… so so many creators I’ve been watching for years that have been positive “influences” on me.
Big part of it is that tiktok thrives on short attention spans. They want you to be scrolling past things as quickly and as efficiently as possible (even with their new 10 minute video length). So every video is made to be as fast and quickly-digestable as possible.
Unsurprisingly, such videos are relatively light on impact and retention. It's no wonder creators see so little follow through.
The fyp shows you what you like to watch, there are niches on Tiktok that I have found really informative & there definitely are creators who get known from Tiktok where people know their name
@@MapleLeafAce agreed. Plus I never specially sought out tik tokers because I was excited about their content. I just let the for you page do its thing. Whereas with TH-cam I specifically go to someone’s page and binge a bunch of videos.
@@GlamGoddes101 I definitely remember my algorithm working really well. I was wasting too much time on the app, which is why I deleted it. But even despite that, I can’t remember most creators. I could probably recognize certain faces or the general content they made, but if you asked me their name or to describe a specific tik tok they made, I couldn’t tell you.
This! I saw so many reports of a lot of influencers from tiktok who had a big follow count, who went to vidcon but no one came to see them, for the very reason you mentioned!
When everyone's an influencer, no one is an influencer. Social media allows anyone to become an influencer, it's no longer an exclusive club that is incredibly hard to break into.
I read this in syndrome’s voice from incredibles
The translation into commercial success is a lot different on tiktok though. There are tons of relatively unknown people with several hundred thousand followers, or even a couple million, who are still just working regular jobs. This is mainly because tiktok has a single finite Creator Fund from which all funded creators are paid from, meaning diminishing returns as the number of funded creators goes up.
Whereas with TH-cam, once you break past 250k subs, the payout from TH-cam/adsense revenue becomes close to livable and you can start transitioning to doing it full time. Plus the reach and retention on TH-cam is miles better.
That’s great. As a inspiring professional influencer as myself this sounds like good news!
I am an Influencer?
@@MapleLeafAce I have never even opened up Tick Tock, just seems like a lot ov silliness aimed towards little kids.
I am sure I am very wrong about that.i just don't really care.
Far more entertainment in watching videos on YT going into deeper information about stuff I actually care about.
But perhaps I am missing some intellectual content on TickTok
I will say, this "ease of followers" does not count for a lot of other kinds of creators. It is harder and harder, for example, to make a sustainable following as an artist or illustrator on social media, because social media is becoming intentionally more inhospitable if you are not the kind of influencer that makes the brands (and therefor the platform) money. You are literally fighting against an algorithm that does not want you (mostly talking about instagram)
Yes. Constantly leaving Instagram and trying again for this reason through the years. tried everything i could on tiktok as well but only got passed a few thousand followers before my account got incorrectly flagged ruining all my momentum
Not to mention the amount of time that takes to create art. You can't just push a new piece everyday. The aspect of fun experimentation with different techniques, new themes, new styles gets completely booted out in favor of drawing the same stuff over and over.
Also the constant "grind" of having to produce and create and produce and create all the dang time
Young people living vicariously through a more successful desirable person is a huge selling piece
A friend of mine is a photographer and she just about quit instagram, because yes, it's a great way to advertise your stuff, but the algorithm is extremely punishing when you post irregularly.
And obviously posting new photos from photoshoots every few days is near impossible unless you only give out the tiniest tidbits each time.
Honestly I find it funny that Emma says she doesn't want to make content anymore by making content in the form of a podcast, the most (in the past couple years) popular move for literally every influence
Lmao even Swell is doing podcasts now. Not sure how into the choice I am due to how ubiquitous podcasts are now, but it's her career, she can do what she wants.
And I can also think of like 5 TH-camrs that made a coffee brand.
@@PanicattheDiscourse because it's probably a lower cost of entry to get some company to let you brand their stuff as your own than it is for cosmetics or something
Tbf, rambling and discussing topics on end is different from doing life style vlogs and posting outfits on Instagram. Though it is still content, at the very least people are solely interested with your discussions and opinions, things that are specific to the individual. While doing life style vlogs are replicable, long winded discussions with a guest arent.
Although you do have a point that so many influencers are making podcasts. While everyone may have different reasons, imo I think the core reason for using that format is because TH-cam as a platform is not well suited for extremely long talks, editing, research and all. Making a podcast is more free with what you can talk about that otherwise they probably couldnt on their regular TH-cam channel or platform of choice because it doesnt align with their existing feed. Though, its pretty annoying if an influencer would just make a podcast bcs everyone is doing it. Like creators make one because they couldn't normally talk about more serious topics on their regular channel. The discussion of quality is entirely different though 😅
I personally get the vibe that people are going to TH-cam now for more longform content. I think people that do video essays or analysis style videos do well because people want something that has more meaning. I put on TH-cam all the time when I am cleaning my house or grading papers and I think it has replaced basic cable and putting on like SVU in the background like you would have in the 90s or 2000s.
I also wonder how well Tik Tok influencers will last because I don’t feel like the format of TikTok allows you to get a good idea of personality the way TH-cam does. On a TH-cam video you usually spend at least seven minutes with the influencer whereas in TikTok world you usually spend like one minute with them. It is a lot harder to be memorable and to develop a parasocial relationship with someone when you get a very small taste of them
I actually love TH-cam shorts for this exact reason. Like having a clip of a longer video makes me actually want to watch the entire video when I have time. But sometimes I only have the mental capacity for a short video on a larger topic.
I do the same. Pick a video half an hour to two hours long and put it on over speakers as I clean/tidy/sort out banking etc. if somethings interesting with visuals I’ll pop over to the screen for some context and then get on with what I’m doing.
I think the major difference between that and the Tiktok style is that in a hour of video you get a lot more out of a content creator. It’s a better personal connection and understanding. You can watch something on the same topic and it’ll be completely new. Tiktok seems to be very repetitive and it’s short and repetitive. There’s definitely some people I’ve seen do more with it. But they tend to be people who can also make longer videos in a more TH-cam style.
If you’ve sat listening to someone’s research and opinions on something for over an hour. You’re gonna be far more interested in that creator than the person doing what everyone else is for 10 seconds. It’s logical to me
Video essays and/or analysis style do well on TH-cam? I’m pleased to hear this as my background is in essays and analysis and for my TH-cam channel I am looking to do a combination of both.
Well said. I also gravitate towards watching TH-cam content over really short-form content (Like Shorts or TikTok) because there's only so much I can get out of such short videos. Longer form videos can actually delve into topics or ideas I find interest in and feel more meaningful to me. Really short videos might easier to share with a friend but they don't have the same kind of staying power in my head.
I've actively been trying to avoid short form content recently, which means I tend to opt for more meaningful videos such as video essays
As a viewer, it's really hard to get attached to a short-form creator until you've consistently watched their content. Following someone on TikTok has the same impact as you liking a Facebook page but opting not to see their content often.
Also, I noticed OG content creators stayed longer on TH-cam because they either created a strong following enough for them to post whatever content they want, or they morphed into companies with dozens of employees who can take turns churning content without the risk of burning out
And even then, a lot of the I just watch for the journey, not the person. I follow this girl whose turning a pony box into a bakery, but once she finishes, I probably will stop watching. I also followed a girl who was making a belle dress, but then she finished it, and I haven't watched her since. I don't remember her name, so i can't even look her up know.
@@sofiasofia-em the level of attachment you'll have to a creator also depends on the type of content they make or they're known for.
Personally, I tend to stick with commentary channels whose approaches are more comedic than preachy, whereas I just passively watch random no-talk cooking, carpet cleaning or lawnmowing channels without subscribing or even liking them because there's no personality to hold on to (except for this one no-talk cooking channel where he presented his way of cooking like an RPG through silly actions and visuals)
Or the 3rd, they adapt perfectly.
Take example, Lemmino, he make a name during the times where everyone and their mother make top 10 videos.
His doing it in meme format, so it's quite enjoyable.
And then the top 10 interest died down, Lemmino is smart enough to notice this and what he do?
Make a S-Tier documentary, it's so good I have hard time believing that he's doing that alone.
My personal take on this is actually that I, at 26, just don't want to meet the people I watch online. For example, I enjoy the content you make and the way you present it but what worth would there be in meeting you personally? That sounds harsher than it was supposed to but in the end it is like you said a parasocial relationship. You don't know me and I only know what you tell in the videos. We are not friends. This is more a business transaction for me. I look for entertainment, you give it to me and thousands of others. Done.
I feel the same at 27. And tbh, I've never considered VidCon to be meant for people in their mid to late 20s anyway. Even back in the 2010s, I remember most people attending Vidcon were around 16-20 year olds. I think influencers, especially youtubers/TikTokers, are forgetting that their fans are either going to be around their age, or be vastly younger than they are. And I have a feeling the vast majority of fans for TikTok are under 18, maybe even under 16.
Ditto. Just because I enjoy people's content doesn't mean we'd be compatible as friends or heck, even hold a conversation longer than "hey I really love your work!"
I've also made the mistake of looking up some of my favorite youtubers on Twitter. And boy, nothing knocks the glamor off your favorite youtuber like watching them go on several petty, ill-informed rants on Twitter.
im 20, and granted it may be the autism, but i feel this same way. i know i’m not friends with anyone i consume the content of so meeting them in person would just be strange, i know all these people but they have no clue who i am, and cool we could still do the “hey i love your work” “wow thanks” “okay bye” but that’s the most genuine you could be with someone you have a parasocial relationship with
@@jessip8654 "also made the mistake of looking up some of my favorite youtubers on Twitter. And boy, nothing knocks the glamor off your favorite youtuber like watching them go on several petty, ill-informed rants on Twitter."
Oh, my god, this! ^ 100x THIS! ^
Seriously, I don't think I'll *ever* forget the times where I have to look up a youtuber who makes interesting videos and shares common interests with me that had actually turned out to be some pompous, self-righteous/holier-than-thou, arrogant would-be know-it-all type of person.
Heaven forbid, that anyone out there that even DARES to challenge, or at the very least, disagrees with, a certain popular TH-camr for any reason, it's then at that point where either the 'fans' of that TH-camr, or even the TH-camr themselves, will make it seem like that THEY'RE the ones who are being attacked by that one 'none-believer' and will absolutely defend tooth and nail for what THEY believe is right/is the correct way.
I feel like a lot of people over the age of about 20 feel the same way. the only reasons that an event like this would appeal to someone like me (not a content creator and not interested in meeting anyone) would be the panels or q&a sessions, but most panel content is stuff that is still accessible and enjoyable online after the con, and audiences can still ask creators questions in comments on social media or on sites like twitch if the creator is small enough.
Honestly part of the issue is that social media websites are trying to compete with each other by *being* each other. Facebook is trying to *be* TikTok, Same for IG and YT. Rather than just cultivating their own niche and competing that way, they're trying to compete by having the same exact features and working their algoritm in the same exact way.
Rather than YT focusing on and *improving* their long form content, they're trying to introduce shorts and stories. Rather than IG trying to focus on and *improving* image sharing, they're pushing a hellish algoritm wehre you have to share stories, reels *and* post almost daily. Rather than trying to compete in a way that is meaningful for consumers and improves user friendliness, they're trying to be "the one" platform everyone uses when for creators that kind of algoritm just isn't sustainable.
Exactly what I was thinking! Different social medias are for different things it just kinda makes sense.
this is what happened with deviant art and why so many people left. they changed to site to emulate instagram basically and its just horrible
This is why I still use Tumblr. It knows what it is and hasn't drastically shifted into something else.
Very well put.
I do believe that shorts enhances the viewing experience however. I remember watching a funny clip of one of Anthony Padilla’s interviews and decided to check out the video. That short clip allowed me to find content I otherwise would’ve ignored.
Same goes for a channel called PewDiePie highlights where I am full of so much nostalgia for 2016-2019 pewds that those short clips kinda give small reminders of why I enjoyed his channel so much in the first place.
You’re right though that TH-cam is doing less to fix up their long form and seems to be neglecting it in favor of short form. Livestream discovery on TH-cam is trash, long form is mid, and shorts are getting all the attention and care rn.
TH-cam could literally whoop Twitch and TikTok’s ass if they could integrate these three forms of content seamlessly. Imagine seeing a short of a livestream currently happening, so you decide to check it out. Or watching a short of long form, so you watch the long form (that kinda happens though but it’d be nice if you could tap on the video after the short is over). TH-camrs already make edited cut down long form of their 6 hour livestreams which proves to be a successful formula.
"The Last Great Year of VidCon" being 2017 also coincides with when the Green brothers/Complexly sold VidCon to Viacom in 2018. People in content creation actually planning and hyping up VidCon probably made it much more in line with what audiences and creators wanted.
The difference between how we as audiences interact with youtube versus tik tok is so interesting. I never find myself purposefully "manipulating" the yt algorithm but with tik tok I often follow or comment on a specific video just because I want the algorithm to know I wanna see more of this kind of content or not interacting with a tik tok not because I didn't like it but because that's not the type of content I want to see all the time. Also, I haven't seen take a break reminders in soooo long I assumed they got rid of them.
As someone who hasn't ever used ticktok, I have to an extent tried to play the yt algorithm. For example I like chess but wouldnt dare watch a chess video on my main account because it's in a category that if you watch one chess video it will appear on your home for months.
I saw one the other day but it showed up way later than it normally would. Looks like they are playing them less. Likely from a combo of needing the ad space and people complaining about them.
I think they only have them on the For you page. I only scroll my following most of the time.
They still do take a break reminder
I hate tiktok live streaming too many scamming psychic readings , stupid grow with me and begging.
Social media creators need to look at Emma Watson for a reality check. She’s an internationally known celebrity who, after the age of 10, could have never worked a single day for the rest of her life and live very comfortably off of her earnings from acting for the Harry Potter enterprise. She did not rely on continued roles in the realm of media. She used some of her earnings to study at Brown University and get her bachelor’s degree. Even when her infamy in the fickle entertainment industry dwindles she chose her next moves wisely and have a solid career opportunity outside of media. Many of these “influencers” make enough money ten times over to pursue an education to fall back on but they just spend their money like it’s going to be this everlasting gig with continuous windfalls of wealth.
YES. So well put.
This!!! This is what I’ve been thinking for the longest time. These young people are getting all this money and they are blowing it on material things. Take the ace family, they blew all their money and now they are reverting to scam behavior. And they have three children to care for and whose futures are in jeopardy because of their greed.
@@chocolatebunny3221 The disgrAce family thinks their luck will never run out. They’ve got another thing coming.
@@simpleplanfan011 if we actually used cancellation like it’s supposed to be used, their luck would’ve ran out ages ago.
@@chocolatebunny3221 it’s kinda hard to cancel someone who’s audience is primarily kids
I totally agree with you on that you can be making similar content as other people, but what sets you apart is YOU. But the problem I find especially with this newer generation of content creators (especially lifestyle/beauty/vlogs) is that they're basically just imitating the content creators THEY grew up watching. And being on TH-cam myself for over ten years I'm finding "unique" personalities to be very few and far between these days 🫠 so that’s why I watch all your videos lolol I could listen to you talk about anything. Cos im interested in YOU.
That's true. It's individual personality that sets people apart. Which is why I like your vids haha
The fact that the internet has been reduced to the same 5 websites for everyone means that all the power is in the hands of the platforms. They use up creators like tissue paper and they don't care because every teenager wants to be a TH-camr or TikTok star like their idols and they'll come replace them. The audience has no power because they have no choice. You HAVE to go to one of these 5 sites to get your entertainment; the alternative is to just not be online. It's a massive monopoly problem.
There are a few independent options made by content creators (KevOnStage Studios, to name one), and their content is solid and a much healthier representation of people as a whole, but it’s hard to compete with the behemoths of today.
a reckoning is coming. I can feel it.
Just like when people used to move to LA or NYC to be a movie star. They get used up and tossed to the side and the .01% who make it are either insiders or sell their souls for the fame.
I've never used tik tok but by the way Amanda describes it, it sounds like tik tok creators might be better off thinking of a majority of their follower count in the same way you would think of a 'like' on a video, thousands of people can do it, but it doesn't necessarily translate to a large amount of long-term consumers of your content if that makes sense
Very interesting video! 😊
You're exactly right, subscribing is not a commitment on tiktok, you are not notified and their videos do not show up more often on the main page.
this is why i really value youtube and long-form content like yours. i genuinely enjoy the content of everyone i am subscribed to and pretty much watch every video they put out.
i have been off of tik tok for a while and could not tell you a handful of people that i was followed to but i could list most of the people i’m subscribed to on youtube and actively watch.
idk, i see the shift that you’re talking about happening and while it’s concerning i hope there are more people out there who are committed to monitoring the content they consume, and that idk maybe instagram and youtube will go back to focusing on creating good user experiences for what their apps are good for. i.e. photo & video.
i’m also in my mid 20s so i’ve had time to figure it out/have been on all of these platforms for a long time and have a better perspective on the shift than younger audiences do. can’t even imagine being in my early teens right now.
I’m in desperate need of a good photo based social media app with just comments 😂
Han,
I really like your point. I'm still active on TikTok and have seen a slow growth, only recently hitting 150 followers, and yet, I can't name even half of who I follow. I've mainly been using it as a way to figure out what content will do well and where I should focus my own content creation, but I do miss making long form videos.
@@renee8833 that would be so nice. i’ve been using VSCO for a while which just uses likes and reshares, and there are no like or follow counts. it’s really nice for looking at nice photos real people take, but not as good for community as there are no comments!
@@RinaLoProduction that makes a lot of sense! im sure it’s really hard to gauge and keep up with trends as i think Swell mentioned, best of luck to you!
im pretty sick of TH-cam actually, because of the neverending complaints from "TH-camrs" about Youtue, the constant self-censoring because they need ad money, and just the complete low effort stuff. It's tiring, it's boring, and it's outlived it's entertainment value.
The things that drives me nuts about platforms copying short form content from tiktok, is they don’t seem to try to build a compatible algorithm. Like THAT’S the driving factor that makes tiktok work so well. I scroll and 9/10 videos are relevant to what I like watching. I scroll on reels and it’s like 2/10 and I see the same video 20 times instead of new ones. TH-cam shorts doesn’t give a single fuck about why I clicked the one I did and is throwing spaghetti at the wall and I immediately click out of it.
But also, I don’t always want to watch TikToks. Sometimes I want to let a longer video play in the background while I work. Stop trying to change what I come to a platform for because the new kid on the block is doing well doing their thing.
Yeah, I wish platforms like TH-cam and Instagram would just stick to what they do best, for TH-cam long format videos and Instagram pictures.
Tik tok is made for when you have a short attention span, and actively trys to get you to log off if you pay attention to one thing for too long
I think the only group keeping youtube shorts afloat is kids whose parents won't let them have tik tok
It’s crazy how thrown together TH-cam shorts are. I’ll click on a sketch someone made then two videos down it’s suddenly some crypto advice from a former celebrity on a podcast I’ve never heard of.
I've been actively trying to cultivate my reels algorithm, and it's a battle. I get tons of videos that are unrelated to anything I've watched, and I frequently have to scroll past 5 or more videos to find anything I'm interested in
I mean- nobody I know actually care about the creator behind the tiktok, the video is so short, and usually a repeated joke, that they aren't really all that special. And with the FYP scrolling non-stop, I'll pass by 20 people and they all just merge together. No one stands out, or can stand out. How am I suppose to get attached to someone I watched for 20 seconds?
I think the only exception are perhaps the illustration artists promoting their webcomic/store/art, but average vlogers, eh dime a dozen.
I can see the point where the only long term goal for tik tok is brand deals. Tumbler, youtube and deviantart take the decent and not do decent artists, tiktok takes the brand deals and Instagram is model and fast fashion country. Facebook and deviantart dies within 10 years
Yeah my friend is a small illustrator using the platform to get people to shop her products, commissions, and possible employment
She has other social media sites but it’s hard to break out.
I think most Influencers might need to see themselves like Athletes when it comes to career longevity and money management. Get to a highpoint, make your bank, don't overspend or buy what you can't afford to maintain if the next day it's all gone.
"Being a professional athlete can be extremely rewarding and lucrative. However, a stark 78% of them will go broke after just 3 years of retirement, Craig Brown, an NKSFB Sports Business Division partner, told FOX Business' "Mornings with Maria" on Wednesday.Feb 2, 2022"
Tik tok also has a weird way of “showing” you the content of people you follow. It’s like when you follow someone the app removes all of their content from your for you page and puts it on your following page. But the thing no one goes to their following page because the app open on the fyp, so you basically loose the content by following someone. I remember one there was a girl on my fyp that bought a paintable dollhouse from micheals and would make multiple part tik toks decorating each room. I saw like every post of her doing that, like parts 1-5 in sequential order, on my fyp without following her but then when i did follow her I never saw her again until I manually checked her page to find she had upwards of 8 or 9 more parts. I didn’t see those because I followed her. At least on TH-cam vids from people you’re subbed to will show up on your home page. Maybe that’s why people on tik tok complain so much about being “shadowbanned” because they’re just being put on peoples following page and not their fyp
i forgot about her! thank you for reminding me to go back and find her videos!
EXACTLY, I don't follow alot of the content creators I like that way I can see them on my fyp and not forget about them
TH-cam needs to adapt the way they measure creator success to the new, older demographic that is still here. It's ridiculous that I'm considered by the platform as a "lesser" subscriber simply because I can't watch a video in the first hour it was published. People need to work, they can't be glued to their screens all the time, and the fact that these platforms not only don't take that into account but also stimulate the opposite, which is dangerous in many many levels, is disheartening and disrespectful.
Very true. Like, i do not watch that 3 hour video in the first hour. But will i watch it? Bet ya. I will work through it over a week, and i will watch it completely and engage with the content. Just slowly. Because to me youtube is my tv channels.
older demographic is watching live streams on twitch now of days
@@sh3w I'm 37 and watch TH-cam - never checked out twitch and have no interest in checking it out
The older you are the less disposable income that you have so your not the advertisers target 🎯 demographics that’s all🧐🧐👀👀🤷🏽♀️🤷🏽♀️💁🏽♀️💁🏽♀️🤦🏽♀️🤦🏽♀️🤦🏽♀️!!!!!
@@angelaburress8586 59% of twitch is 25+
I honestly hate shorts on any platform. I get headaches from repetitive sounds so when short videos loop, its torture. And I hate the ones without a slide bar to play back something so if its a slightly longer short you have to sit through and wait for it to replay. I just prefer longer anyway. I tend to play them when I do other things and you can get more in depth with longer videos.
sat next to a micro "influencer" at govball and she had to prepare mentally for the fake enthusiasm she showed on camera. it seemed incredibly tiring and she mentioned to her friend when she stopped recording that this brand only called her the day of the festival because they had an extra ticket. she then recorded three clips of her thanking this brand for the ticket. I'm poor and ugly so I was in General Admission inhaling a funnel cake on my own dime
Username checks out, lol
Wow, that’s so sad and exhausting.
I remember back in like 2009 or something it was such a big deal that Ryan Higa reached 1 million subscribers / was the most subscribed to TH-camr. Now most videos recommended to me are channels (whether it’s a company, group, or individual) who have anywhere from 250k-5m+ subscribers so it seems much more common on social media now to have a lot of followers/subs but not necessarily a lot of “fans” (which makes sense why a TikToker with 1m+ followers has nobody at their meet-and-greet)
So many people who actually have ADHD, like myself, are actually fully or partially choosing to opt out of social media, so that's really dumb on the platforms part.
Oh me too! TH-cam is the only social media I have
As someone who has been making videos since literally the first year of TH-cam's existence, it'll never stop feeling weird and sad every time I meet a new creator, or would-be creator, and their primary motive for making videos is hoping to get rich and famous. I get it, who WOULDN'T want to be rich and famous (other than the stalkers, the creator burnout, etc etc etc but those don't feel like real problems until you experience them firsthand)? But it still makes me sad because youtube started off as a place by the weirdoes, for the weirdoes. Now it's "for the weirdoes but only the 'lol so random' marketable ones," while doing any actual sort of experimentation or art is extremely unlikely to ever get found and watched by anyone, not unless you spend a lot of time and/or money advertising it elsewhere, which defeats the whole "low point of access, avante garde, adventurous spirit" that it started out with.
Oh well, that's capitalism baby...
As a loyal 10+ year enjoyer of TH-cam and someone that does not use TikTok, here’s my perspective: the YT algorithm has my taste down to a T, and I’m anal about keeping it that way. Like, I’ll go incognito when looking up a video that’s outside of my normal taste for fear of YT recommending me videos like it. The idea of the FYP on TT is my nightmare. I want to see who I follow first and foremost, with occasional suggestions. TT was clearly not made for me so I only consume it through YT or videos my friends send me.
I would love a podcast or video with you and hank green. I feel like you guys would have a very interesting conversation
This is an excellent suggestion
There is absolutely no one I would or could pay to see in 2022. I can barely afford my meds. Most influencers are so disconnected from the real world
Follower count and content preference has everything to do with the average age of the user for each platform. Younger people are more likely to open an app multiple times throughout the day and look at content for a short period of time (resulting in many short videos like on tiktok or IG stories). While older people tend to have day jobs and/or be busy most of the day. So when they watch a video it's usually in the evening when they get home and want to relax so they have time to watch longer form content and might be watching while doing other things (house chores, laundry ect.) So longer videos where they don't need to have the phone in their hand and continue manually scrolling is better. You can just make a "watch later" playlist and hit play on the TV in the living room and continue cooking dinner or whatever. The "influencer dying" thing is more about creators aging out of their content and missing the opportunity to gain a new demographic. There is always someone younger who hasn't been burned out by overused formulas and ads.
I think this is partially true, but it doesn't explain the "influencer dying" endemic. That would suggest that adults preferring long form content is a new occurrence, when in actuality, long form creator fans have often been watching since they were kids themselves. It can't be that it's just that teens prefer short form AND that creators are just aging out of their fanbase.
I definitely like that you're not a tiktok person. I like the well-spoken, long-form content.
I think the main shift to short form content is that creators now get followers, but not fans. If that creator burns out, they’re replaceable, the followers don’t build a connection with them. People are no longer making conscious decisions about what to watch, they just react to what they’re presented with. I started a TH-cam channel and I get most of my views and subscribers from shorts. I’ve just given up on long form content tbh. Many other creators I’ve spoken to are encouraging me to leave TH-cam and just make content on TikTok, and they find it much easier to get views and followers there. I haven’t done it (yet). I think short form content moves the power and money back to the platform and I think it’ll become harder to make a living as a creator. (Sorry! I really enjoy your channel!)
I was about to deny this. But for the creators I genuinely follow because I like their content, they could post nothing for days and I wouldn't notice. Suddenly they reappear on the shorts and I'm like "Oh yeah. You exist." I could watch reels or shorts for an hour, maybe remember ONE and still have no idea what it was about. But I'll remember the jingle/song/soundbite from those shorts. It's hard to get "into" new creators unless you make the effort to follow them based on their format. I hate tiktok and the short-form. It's too easy to get overwhelmed and not carr.
@@vanessar.6085 unfortunately I have noticed that for some creators I follow, their long form content is not getting the views it used to (they bring it up in their videos). I feel like the long form videos that still do very well are the “spectacle” genre, like MrBeast giving away a million or whatever.
@@LucyStokesOceansofNotions honestly I dont think thats true, vids that only get hundreds of thousands and not millions are technically better than tiktoks that get millions, because usually those views on youtube vids have more chance to end in someone sticking around. Tiktok is like being a stick in a river, tons of water flows by but hardly any is the same around you. Plus vids on YT usually do worse because no one watches things, they all give up and go back to tiktok, it just takes a little more looking to find the stuff you like with longform content and it feels like hardly any people are willing to put in the effort because they think the only good content is on Tiktok...
As a musician trying to use social media as a marketing tool, I'm super glad I came across this video! Gave me a lot of good insight into the inner workings to social media as it has evolved to this point. Definitely got my follow!
May we please get an updated thoughts video? I truly enjoy your channel ❤
I'm a cosplayer. I have an IG account that is purely for cosplay and I made a tiktok that was purely for cosplay. My IG is just under 300 followers. My tiktok had 8-9k followers when I quit.
I think I've gotten less than 50 IG followers from my tiktok account, and I had the IG info in my bio and made a post about how I was quitting tiktok. (And the cosplay community tends to assume you have an IG or tumblr account in addition to whatever else, because it is so photo based.)
I'm not trying to make money or celebrity off of my cosplaying, so when dealing with tiktok got more aggravating than enjoyable, I quit. This is going to make me sound so old, but I don't like how quickly the internet is moving these days. I honestly miss bulletin boards and forums, haha.
Also that reality show based on influencers sounds like my idea of hell. A genre of tv show based on a fake distorted view of reality filled with people who are successful by giving a fake distorted few of themselves and everything they do.
Not getting cast in that would be a very good thing.
Things I want TH-cam to learn from TikTok:
1. Licensed music
2. Weirdly specific algorithm
3. Video replies
4. Brands being forced to meme to fit in
What TH-cam DID learn from TikTok: haha short video go brrrrrrrr
TH-cam used to have video replies. It spawned the hated 'Reply Girls'. I hope we never go back to that.
Patreon. I think that’s an area to talk about. Because very few tiktokkers mention Patreon, but every TH-camr does. People willing to pay money to support content creators and also get more content and more access to their favorite creator.
I just don't know what a TikToker can provide for extra incentive with their videos being less than a minute long.
Very true. Artists can offer their art, body people can offer pics I guess? But for most people it would be very difficult
I'm doing a research paper on educational content on various platforms as an extension of my Master's thesis, and I cannot express how valuable this video is for me. You express some ideas I've been musing on when looking at TikTok educators migrating to TH-cam and viewer numbers.
Anyway great video, thanks so much for inadvertently helping with my research!
That must be fun researching
ooh good luck!!
I just wanna say something I’ve noticed is that I think influencers that are in a smaller community or create content niche interest stay a lot longer than regular influencers. I feel like since they are in such a niche group there’s Not as many contact creators making the same stuff, so the people who are looking for contact about this niche interest Stay more with the influencer that contact.
It might just put me but I feel like those communities are a lot more tighter than some of the more bigger influencers.
This is mostly how artists on platforms stay afloat. They create a interesting or versatile art style and create and draw skits and stories with them and post big projects in between. Because you won't find that art style or that sense of humor anywhere else you find yourself not being able to past them up, versus a skit or pov done by a generically pretty white girl in dime a dozen clothes and locations
I got rid of TikTok when I realized I was spending way too much time scrolling and not gaining anything. I wasn't even being entertained. I was being distracted from things I needed to work through at that point in my life. I got rid of Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat too. I went back to TH-cam for my digital content and like the long form content but since they added shorts I slip into watching them for hours again and I'm super upset. I hate that there is a separate tab for shorts but they display them on the home page too. I understand they're trying to compete with other platforms but it seems cheap. I'm really curious to see long term studies on brain function and social interactions as this becomes normal because the short term studies are already interesting.
The 'you've been scrolling to much, rest your eyes' does still pop up, I see it all the time her is Aus when I'm swiping at like 2am
I really hate to say it, but half of the time, I don't actually remember the names of the tiktokers i watch. So if I saw their name on a meet and greet, I wouldn't even recognize who it was? Most of the time, I use tiktok as a way to find streamers to watch on twitch by watching clips of them or a place for fandom/ fanworks such as cosplay. I think a lot of people consider tiktok as a place to advertise themselves on other platforms/ a springboard to content on other platforms, etc
The fact that you even remember names means a lot. I don't remember any random TikTokers I see on the explore page. Sometimes I don't even realize I'm looking at a video from someone I follow on there.
I couldn't care less about influencers. I follow CONTENT CREATORS. I'm not the target demographic though.
I always feel bad whenever friends send me links to tiktoks bc I don't have the app downloaded. It's not that I find tiktokers annoying, far from it actually, but the way it's just constant scrolling and there's no breathing room to take in what has been viewed is a bit of a turn off for me. I've since dubbed the content of tiktok as "fast comedy" and it's really not for me, long form videos are more comfortable imo
I feeeel this
I don't think the influencer/content creator is dead, rather if you want to be a lifestyle/ skincare/analysis/craft creator, youtube is where it is. Twitch is where the gamers are and has the most active fandom at the moment. Make-up / Kitch (weird) / fashion creators have a mid-size dedicated following on TikTok, that is to say, that 1/5 or 1/10 of their followers will actively move to Instagram or youtube, where they can cultivate a more active following. But the test of the extreme following is the movement into the fandom, in this category, there is fanfiction/fan art of a creator- and the only people I see these of at the moment are Minecraft /twitch streamers, footballers(soccer)/ Hockey/Formula Racing (they have a reality show), BTS/NCT (Really popular Kpop groups) and strangely One direction still. Also, I consider TikTok, the tumble of all the social media, great for discourse or finding new content, but not great for influencing.
Agreed. Theres a streamer I watch that says he got his ‘start’ by posting on TikTok, and then advertised more of the same content on a different platform (TH-cam and Twitch). It’s become a stepping stone for many creators to get their foot in the door and have an audience, but the bigger creators will move to other platforms to get their ideas across better (cant say everything in 1 minute or less, after all)
@@rosariawellman4726 Let me guess: is that streamer Ranboolive?
(this is gonna be really embarrassing if i'm not correct)
I don’t even think that creators should always have the goal of growing a fandom, having a audience who consistently comes back to see you is enough
@@SNSC00 Yep!! And I know Tommy and other Minecraft streamers use Tiktok to get the word out for their streams. It's useful , but not a main platform
Jenna Marbles had a similar trajectory/arc as Emma, I am sure other “relatable” creators will have the same burn out and cynicism. Let’s hope Amanda doesn’t follow the same trajectory anytime soon.
As soon as you start TRYING to be relatable it’s the beginning of the end.
how was this 16 hrs ago??
@@bassproshopsnob5883 good question maybe she has patrons early access to her vids 🤔
I have adhd and can't stand the tiktok format. I uninstalled instagram because of the endless video scrolling.
It made my adhd so much worse and I didn't want that.
I genuinely believe tiktok and similar platforms is why there's been such an increase in adhd dxs, and while I don't blame those individuals for developing, like Amanda said, an artificial adhd, I do think people need to start being educated that this is what's happened to them and that it's reversible
And the platforms need to take responsibility on that.
Adhd tiktok is such an ironic piece of the internet imo
I do think when it comes to content creation, I think a big part of how long you and your content can sustain depends on your distance from more traditional forms of entertainment, cause for example TH-cam musicians, artists, actors to just name can more easily transition into mainstream fields of entertainment (even if still indie) and still make money off their content and themselves, than I would say a lot of purely "influencer" content creators, if that makes sense
Exactly. I, as a performer, want to create content, as well as other actors I know create different types of content in their spare time, but it isn't the only thing they want to create. I thnk the key to being a content creator is to find something you're passionate about. If you're just emulating others, it shows. But also showcasing your personality helps. If I love your personality, I'll watch your content if it differs from video to video.
this stuff is why i'm so glad i deleted tiktok 2 years ago. it was horrible for my mental state and even my relationship with my partner. hours of scrolling and getting angry or upset or insecure about the content i was seeing because it's just teenagers arguing or super pretty people. i lost a lot of my ability to conversate and i would literally just endlessly scroll my feed. if you still have it i really recommend getting rid of it for a week and seeing how much more fun stuff you can fill your time with.
the amount of people that i know that have had to delete tiktok (and then redownload it, the cycle repeats) for their own use management is pretty wild
honestly I've been trying out tiktok for the past 2 months or so as a musician and it was seriously affecting my mental health in a negative way. Every advice video tells you to follow the trends, post at least once, even 3 times a day, and that it's the only place where you can excuse quantity over quality. Meanwhile, I was making videos I didn't feel passionately about, I didn't even like my content. I was miserable and the videos weren't even doing that well. I've moved on to just posting when I feel comfortable and I feel so much better. I also decided to head back to youtube to make videos for fun!
I totally agree with everything you said, because when I watch my favorite tiktokers it has always felt like there's a disconnect. There's a lot of valuable community building that other platforms offer that is missing from tiktok.
i think the reason why things like vidcon aren’t popular anymore is because internet culture has shifted from niche to common. there’s a huge demand and supply for internet entertainment to the point where it’s no longer unique, in fact NOT being up to date with influencers is uncommon. i remember in 2012-2013, knowing about youtubers and viners was uncommon, most people only kept up with mainstream celebrities. now everyone wants to be internet famous, and apps like tiktok make it easy.
I couldn't name almost anyone I fallowed when I still used TikTok before I decided it was destroying my mental health. But I can name so many TH-camrs and I actually care about them enough to talk about them in real life. I wouldn't talk about a tiktoker more than to describe a vid I thought was funny, but never about them in particular. I think brands are gonna skrew themselves if they stop working with TH-camrs in exchange for tiktokers cuz I think it takes investment in the creator to get someone to buy what they recommend. I just don't think enough people are invested in most of the tiktokers they fallow to buy like that.
Btw Ive always loved the intro, the first time I saw it I enjoyed how unique and fun it was while keeping it short, sweet, and to the point
In regards to mental health, I absolutely agree. Tiktok is infested with career focused videos that try to push a narrative that *their* career is the correct one, and that any other career is bad. And they'll usually follow it up with arbitrary numbers with no proof, like "I'm 19 and I make 278 million bucks a year because I worked hard and you didn't." Most of it is probably just completely made up, but that doesn't change the fact that it causes a ton of self doubt in viewers.
I think TT also hasn’t cleaned out bots like older platforms have, so numbers are inflated, plus yeah less investment by followers.
I think that youtube gets people more invested in the person behind the video compar to tiktok. That say it may be more simple and having longer interaction with content creators may make people think more funneling of them.
I never got into tiktok. I really like keeping up with creators and seeing the ones I like. I hate when I watch a bunch of creators videos then follow them, then never see their videos again. It’s so frustrating, I think it’s a main reason why I have stuck to TH-cam.
You hit the nail on the head on so many points. Personally, I don't have a TikTok because I feel like I would become addicted to it, and that sheer volume of content would probably accelerate the rotting of my brain. TH-camrs feel more likable to me bc their long form content makes you feel as if you know them more, of course you're really only seeing what they want you to, so you should always take things with a grain of salt. Tiktok followings don't translate well to other social media in part bc of the attention spans of their followings. If someone watches less than a minute videos from a creator, they're gonna have a hard time wanting to watch them for 10+ mins. I think this can be seen with beauty tiktokers that move to youtube, they have more in depth reviews on youtube, but that audience got all they needed in 45 seconds, so why would they want to watch a 15 min video
As long as there is a convention to go to, movie/tv show to review and or product the influencer swell entertainment will always be an influencer.
I’m pretty sure the “take a break” reminders from tiktok are still around. The only reason I don’t get them now is because I put a time limit on tiktok, which I did about three weeks ago. But before I did that, I do clearly remember seeing those reminders
I've recently gotten them
I've gotten them as soon as I open the app
i get them all the time and they encourage me to set an in app time limit as well
I've never seen a reminder like that. I didn't know that even existed
I feel like the difference between TikTok engagement vs TH-cam engagement is a similar difference to window shopping vs going into a store and actually purchasing a full outfit. With window shopping, I quickly go from store to store, checking out a thing here or there, maybe going as far as to touch a shirt to feel the material or hold it up to see if it’d fit, but I never go out window shopping with the intent to buy. TikTok is the same- I swipe and scroll and if there’s a person I really like I might go to their page (channel? Hell if I know) and watch a handful of their others or even all of them in a few cases. But I’ve never once even half considered buying merch or going to a meet and greet or trying to figure out their personality even on a parasocial level. It slides right off my brain and is gone.
Purchasing an outfit is different though. I usually pick the stores I know I like, or discover a store by going through the whole thing and checking out pieces with intent. I’m there longer. I get a feel of the vibe of the store and build an outfit and, eventually, make a purchase because I was able to put things together. TH-cam’s the same- if I find a channel I like, I spend a longer time with them, both per video and by going to their channel and watching a few more. The longer form content gives me a chance to get a feel for the personality and vibes and make a connection, albeit parasocial. I have purchased merch from several youtubers and have either gone out of my way to meet them or had friends at cons get pictures or videos with them, because I know them and have that connection.
the inequality of followers across platforms has ALWAYS bugged me. I have 31k followers on TikTok but focus so much more on my TH-cam channel that has almost 9k. I've seen pages post ONE video (usually not their own) that blow up and end up having hundreds of thousands of followers. It's just not worth the grind for me over there, I got so burnt out on needing to make 3-4 posts a day to grow ... and my content is about making things, so basically they are asking me to make a ton more stuff in a much smaller timeframe that is even possible, and it's true that I feel like I've built a community on TH-cam whereas TikTok doesn't feel that way (at least to me)
I also think because TikTok earlier on promoted that specific algorithm that 'the more you liked/followed/comment' on stuff you liked, the likely hood of you being shown that more increased. So I used to do the same with following whoever and liking whatever until one day I was like ... who are these people on my following page??? Why did I follow them? and I have to go back through their page to be like OH OK this is why
This video is actually very uplifting. For a while now I've felt like I'm the crazy one when I say I don't enjoy TikTok, Shorts, or Reels, and what I do enjoy is longer form content. All the short form videos feel like watching when you would see a funny commercial on TV. You might laugh or even remember it for a brief amount of time, but eventually you want to get back to the main program. In the same way, it's easy to click follow on a short vid creator but it's hard to be invested in what they do. Just like how you might think Flo the Progressive lady is funny but eventually you want to get back to the show with the character development that the commercial was interrupting.
Im struggling EVERYWHERE on social media! I just haven't become a slave by keeping up with an insane post schedule. I truly dislike how now creators are having to bend over backwards for all these algorithms, but the same algorithms dont actually help creators. It causes burnout like you mentioned, and makes it HARD for small creators to even break through to a larger audience. I used to easily get at least 10k a video a few years ago, now I can't even make it past 100 views.... It's terrible.
something i’ve never considered for a content creator meeting another content creator is the weird realization that the parasocial relationship is mutual
I just saw the "Hold on, you've been scrolling WAAAAY too long" tiktok the other day, so it's definitely still happening. I think, honestly, maybe it's working? It does remind me that I've been sitting, staring at my little screen, for at least an hour straight...
I'm new to your channel. I'm loving it. I think a lot of "influencers" think they are superstars when in reality the normal person doesn't care.
Do you guys remember Joana Ceddia? She was "oldschool" type of influencer with personality based content. Now she is gone(I'm not talking about her skin disease). Everything is cyclical, specially for personality based content creators like her. Your personality changes and there is only so many things a person can do with it
Influencers are not going away or ending. They come and go.
FML Amanda this is one of your best video essays to date. Been with your channel since 2018 around 30k subs. Love it when you get into the sociology and economic mechanisms of social media. THANK YOU!!! Keep slaying girl. The audience is building with your talent.
You touched on this briefly, but TH-cam allows the audience to gauge the creators and really enjoy and take in the content TH-cam followers are a lot more likely to be actual fans because it's not rapid content I feel that's why a lot of older youtubers have taken to just uploading when they feel because they have security, but Tiktok is bad in so many ways including the grind of content and people going 'famous' for making a funny vs actually entertaining others
I just got that “you’ve been scrolling for a while” last week. Thank God for those videos man, otherwise I would never sleep
"We're all becoming tablet kids" for me it feels that way, where now I can't draw without background audio (ex: this video), the only break I get from social media is my job but every other moment feels like work still
I hate algorithms. Please just show me things in chronological order, ESPECIALLY if I already follow them.
i think the only thing that can really switch up the "influencer" cycle is doing youtube videos as a HOBBY with no goal of making it a JOB. most if not all the youtubers i watch are regular people with their own job outside of youtube and yet the quality of their videos is still consistent (if not always improving) to the point that i watch their videos for THEM and not because of the content.
the consensus circa 2017/18 was that youtubers have to start branching out and touching other industries in order to stay relevant but i think its the opposite now. the moment it starts to get bigger than themselves is when i check out (which sounds cruel) but especially w content that is centered around being "relatable", i can't imagine myself going to the met gala or going on a late night talk show. also i still get those "you've been scrolling for way too long" tiktoks but only after maybe HOURS scrolling, but those ads. . . those are wayyyy more frequent, probably one every 5 tiktoks
I got randomly served your Ace Fest video (possibly because I watch a lot of scam busting a la coffeezilla and went on an Ace Family hate bender one night a year ago) and subscribed because of your voice and content.
Back to the point of the video. I don’t think influencing itself is dying but I think platforms and companies are trying to re exert their power on content alongside a near saturation of new-tier creators from the pandemic so it’s a lot harder to get seen. You’re spot on with how the different metrics mean different things for each platform, and working in corporate America they will assume the one word means the one thing. Nuance is dead and we killed it.
In my opinion there is more respect for TH-camrs. This causes subscribers to want to support them more and with that support comes community. I don't deal with tiktok all that much but I don't care about the same 3 thousandth thot challenge video or the millionth lipsync. TH-camrs could be talking about the same subject even being on the same side of it but their videos are vastly different and show more effort. People can see that. So even though the internet moves fast creators are less disposable here.
I actually think this video is full of tons of amazing and spot on points. I also think it's hard to predict the future of the "influencer" but the TikTok phenomenon has definitely caused a shift and unfortunately sold a false dream to an already influence obsessed youth.
I think the estimated ratio between TH-cam channel subs vs. TikTok followers is like... 1 mil to 15-20 mil. It's so easy to press "follow" on a TikToker you like without actively paying attention to their content. Meanwhile on TH-cam, you have a better chance to bond with the content creator because you're watching long-form media that can extend your persona further than in a short video. Plus a lot of TH-camrs often have extensions of themselves like you mentioned; merchandise, entrepreneurial businesses, a collection of brands, etc. I wouldn't quite say influencers are dying, per se. But moreso adapting and "growing up," so to speak. I think Film Theory did a video about this effect on TH-cam, if I recall! Wonderful essay on this topic though.
I think if ur still trying to sell stuff based on ur looks or aesthetic things are gonna dry up fast. I’m sick of buying stuff and I’m damn sure sick of being sold a product everytime a scroll down the timeline. I think the content creator will live on but influencers may not
I think it also helps to remember that followers can be like, a range of folks from different countries, varying ages and overall interest in video-makers. So you gotta think about how many folks would travel for events like Vidcon, how far they'd travel and if it's even viable for them (I've heard flying anywhere as someone with mobility aids is untennable.). Ah well.
This video made me realize that there are plenty of content creators I recognize from tik tok, but I cant recall any of their names. If someone asked me “do you know x on TikTok?” I wouldn’t be able to tell you and sometimes when I think of a video I want to show a friend I can’t look it up because I don’t know the name of the creator, I just have to hope I saved it somewhere. Definitely adds to the increased disposability of influencers and the ticking clock on the relevancy of any given creator.
I’m someone who could only marginally be considered a “content creator” and have no skin in the game-and also refuse to get TikTok. I would definitely agree that there’s been a shift in influencer culture over the last 2 years since the pandemic started, but as it’s not over im not sure if there’s any quick definition for it. Several of the TH-camrs I regularly watch are transitioning to different content (mainly based on them just getting older), and Instagram has transformed into a really confusing space for me. In general I don’t consume a ton of new content-I stick to the people who I’ve been following and don’t usually go on the explore or trends pages. I won’t click on a new TH-camr in my home page unless the topic sounds really interesting.
I will say that my consumption of short form content has increased (via shorts mostly), but my likelihood of subscribing to someone, even if I watch a few months of backlog of short videos, is just much lower. Somehow my brain places less importance on following for funny skits than my usual TH-cam fare, which are generally 20 min +
i have this exact same process, i hardly subscribe to short content despite watching a lot of it and all the shorts showing up in my sub tab is honestly annoying and i usually only watch comedian shorts content religiously
I remember from pre-Covid tik tok, that they’d make you unable to like videos after a certain period of time and they’d tell you to “take a break from liking for a little while” or sum like that. Since recently redownloading after deleting it during Covid, I’ve noticed that feature had been gone, even if I’ve been on the app upwards of an hour. It makes it a lot easier to scroll and lose track of time without a reminder that you’ve been on the app 3 hours straight
When everyone is an influencer, nobody can be an influencer. That’s why the bar goes higher and higher.
I get the “you’ve been swiping” videos all the time. Multiple times a day, every day. I’m just glad there are so many variations now.
It was so interesting to me seeing the difference between dream smp fandom experience vs the rest of vidcon honestly lol As an older dsmp viewer nearing her 30s (god that pains me to say) who is also a fan of the dream smp ensemble I definitely feel like the reason this vidcon was especially younger is because of the age demographic of dsmp. Three of the most popular streamers on the smp were minors themselves when the pandemic was at its “peak” and when their channels blew up. Teens all over the world I imagine were looking for others who shared the feeling of how destructive this was to their young lives and here were 3 charismatic creators their age playing a game most of them also played or enjoyed as kids. They had that relatability factor and add in that they were telling a very engaging story (I believe Technoblade’s peak dsmp stream was over 800k viewers on TH-cam at one point) it was a lifeline for many viewers but especially the younger ones who felt just lost and alone. The dsmp community has so many little communities within it that you can find a “home” anywhere you look.
There’s cosplay and Fanart and lore that people spend hours picking apart and then even authors who post beautiful stories inspired by what boils down to just a group of friends having fun. Sure there’s a ton of infighting but at the end of the day, it’s still a community and that vs the tiktokers I saw who had no one really show up for them shows that difference
As an ex-dsmp teenager fan, I definitely agree with this statement. It also helped how much fan content there was and how a bunch of it was very found-family or platonically focused which, as someone with family issues, was just really comforting for me. It is incredible how long dsmp kept my attention (almost two years!), and I attribute a majority of that to the characters and their relationships which each other which I had grown very attached to. GOD, especially technoblade (rest in peace) and Sleepy Boys Inc.
But also, tangent here, its just crazy how widespread dsmp was, even in real life at my school. It became this topic all my friends and I could bond over, and straight up, the Head Girl of my school two years ago won the student council elections *because she made a bunch of technoblade references in her speech*
i much prefer long form videos, im always watching someone do video essays and such it really helps me stay focused on whatever when someones just talking passionately
I would love to see you talk to Tomska about this! It seems like an odd match up but he's been a very vocal part of the discussion about the rise and fall of popularity on youtube in particular, and has some first hand experience on how quickly things can fall apart/how people continue on. It could be really interesting to talk to people like Tyler Oakley too, maybe get some insight on how life changes when you become almost a scaled down version of how you used to run things. That core audience of people who care about you, they really do stick around, but it's crazy to see how fast the world changes when it decides to.
All the content that could be made
Has been made - bottom line is
Once ppl realized there’s money to made by being yourself-
Everyone wants to make money from just being themselves-
Case in point
Your channel is based on
You explaining subjects In your way !
You’re earning money by just being
Yourself!!!!
I totally forgot about those breaks where they would tell me to sleep
I'm here for you, Amanda. I'm older than the tik tok audience & its just too much. Honestly, as someone who works with younger kids, the idea of making the micro content isn't doing any favors for attention spans (not shocking, I know. Also kinda off topic but moving on...). I'm a stan for long form content & really love my deep dive channels just like Swell!
the annoying thing abt tiktok is that even the following page still gives you an algorithm instead of giving you the chronological feed of who you follow
I feel like the future is going to be that brands companies and platforms realize that the world has just expanded the idea of community and popularity. It's not just your high school or workplace where you can have influence anymore, but just like in those days there will be successful or popular people. Our communities are just larger now and the norm going forward will be that you have access to a much greater social circle than before. but the popular girl in high school wasn't necessarily profitable investment..... could be, but you can't discern long term success simply based on numbers when everyone has access to a world wide audience. There will always be people with good ideas that stand out..... that's not simply popularity. I don't think they realize that the numbers don't really tell the whole story anymore.
I can confirm they still have "you've been swiping for a while" videos, but it does seem like less. I have though clicked "show me less of this". Also they specifically have ones that show late at night and instead of telling you to go outside, it tells you to go to sleep.
I did watch tiktok during the early pandemic phase. But eventually deleted it because all those I watched, had little to no personality. Recently I got into the documentary style TH-camrs and commentary youtubers like Eddy Burback, sixteenleo, Drew Gooden and Danny Gonzalez. and there is no denying that I am subscribed to Julien Solomita because of Jenna Marbles and watch old TH-camrs like Nigahiga and Simplynailogical. I guess its because there is more effort in their videos. Far more memorable than any of the tiktok influencers I watched a year ago.
It's just sad that TH-cam is terrible to content creators.
Yea I feel like especially with the panaramic, the shift is in motion. People were able to quickly gain a following from jumping on the bandwagon with some luck and lots of freetime but now it's INSANELY oversatuated. From a creator standpoint (I'm an illustrator) having to keep up with new video centric demands is kinda annoying. Sometimes I do want to make a vid but like a lot of people it feels like just..busy work (in terms of reels and shorts I mean) But you have to do it to be seen. So folks who do care and folks who don't care so much oversatuate a new outlet very quickly and everything becomes homogeneous quickly.
There's also that low barrier to entry like you mentioned where you can get in but the burnout or oversatuation will inevitabley catch up. And then the humbling of numbers vs reality.
Part of me kinda wants the end of influencer to come cause it really just is too much at this point- from a follower and creator standpoint lmao- or at least some way to make platforms and people and creators of different practices more distinguishable. When someone really stands out then yea give them their flowers! But right now, especially when some that standout dont really get to standout numbers wise, some big shake up ought to happen. Lmao some Ragnarok shit
In general- platforms being greedy and samey are to blame, not the creators who are just trying their best, and with everyone trying their best in the same format on the same platforms things get dull
i feel like esports and influencers are slowly dying out from the end of 2018 to now
I never really thought about it this way but the way you touched on how much a following on TikTok differs from one on TH-cam is crazy to me. As someone who doesn't make content, I never go on TikTok and think "I'm gonna watch _______ creator's videos". I usually just go on there to scroll through my for you page for some good laughs (and that's where the rabbit hole begins). But as someone who has a lot of favorite content creators on TH-cam, I often go on there with the goal of watching a certain creator. If I see that one of my favorite creators posted a video or get a notification, I will watch it. It's like routine for me. But with TikTok's algorithm, it's almost like the audience against the creator. We go on there because of this intoxicating algorithm that they've specifically curated for *us*...the *audience*. TikTok is mindless. It's intention is to have content fed to you instead of having to seek out content and form somewhat of a "connection" with the creator. Honestly, thinking about it too much makes me wanna throw my phone out the window, live in the woods, and go off the grid completely.
TikTok hates Art based content. For example- for me, even though in theory it should be easy to get followers on platforms such as TikTok I still struggle with that as the nature of my content being art based so I have been stuck below 50 followers for ages and yet to see a video of mine to get over 200 likes. The algorithm working against artists in particular makes it super hard to get any followers let alone an actual community which then makes it impossible to get commissions even though I am confident with my skills and need money. It’s sad to know the day when I get followers I will still not have a community that cares about my work
As an artist- it really sucks. No platform cares about artists. Twitter, instagram, tiktok- all actively work against us being seen. Twitter soft blocks anyone trying to get eyes on their art, their websites, or their patreons. Everyone always needs art and artists yet we get treated absolutely awful online. It’s like a trap- you’re told you have to use social media to even dream of making a living, and yet absolutely no platforms treat our work as valuable. Unless some reposter steals your work and gets 50k likes…social media use has also decimated my creative drive
It only took about... two or three videos here before I hit subscribe -- and I don't hit subscribe often on TH-cam. I could tell from how much effort and thought you took with the research and discussion that I would more or less appreciate the content made by you. I love your opinions and assessments
The moment Tik Tok starts to put on so many adds like instagram they will "die" too, and I honestly think will be faster than instagram. I work with social media and I haven't booked an influencer for about 3 months now, the companies are putting money and effort into their own accounts (insta and tik tok) and building their followers and not really going for influencer anymore.