Comment by satisfice
5 days ago
Interesting experience to read an essay of such insight regarding a subject that is the opposite of insight.
Best thing I’ve read this week. I am happy to say I have never seen a Mr. Beast video, and now I will be sure never to see one in the future.
There's not much you're missing. His videos try to appeal to the lowest common denominator and are relatively vapid. Sort of like the junk food of YouTube.
In analogy with the article: what is the junk food experience, but the craving for more junk food? It is literally engineered to make us want more.
"YouTubers" are one of those things that a lot of people are interested in, yet everything I learn about them makes me not want to start.
The world has so much good film, music, novels, even video games and TV - in a choice between any of those and watching a YouTuber, why would anyone choose the latter?
The 'Youtubers' I watch are those that do things that are also my hobbies or interests, for education/demonstration/inspiration.
Woodworking, machining, 3D printing, electronics, that sort of thing. A modern alternative to magazines basically, or to regional/cable/'public access' (I don't really know how it works, not sure if we ever had that sort of thing here) TV shows like the fictional 'Tool Time' show within the sitcom Home Improvement if you ever saw that.
I got started via 'how to do x' for a couple of DIY things, realised there's so much stuff like that, started watching for fun/interest (vs. actually having the job to do myself) and from there the more 'maker' (hate the term) side of doing it for a hobby to create a thing rather than household DIY/repair.
I mean, there certainly is a genre of "YouTuber", but there's lots of quality content. I just enjoyed a little 20 minute history of the Panasonic 3DO console that I managed to never hear about before.
By never seeing one you are sure to insulate yourself from... something? guilt by association? Makes no sense. See one or don't, it has no moral meaning.