Like, Comment, Subscribe: Inside YouTube's Chaotic Rise to World Domination by Mark Bergen, 407 pgs.
"Charlie bit my finger!" Evolution of Dance. Annoying Orange. Fred.
You have probably seen a YouTube video at least once in your life, whether it be one of the viral clips mentioned above, or just a simple tutorial or cat video. For all the videos you have seen though, there are hundreds of thousands more that you haven't. There is no larger collection of homemade footage than YouTube. In this look into YouTube's formation and business practices, journalist Mark Bergen delves deeply into the values of the company and how they have led to some extreme issues. Bergen talks about the harm that has come from YouTube's practices in terms of content moderation (or lack thereof), and its, at times, tenuous relationship with the very creators who make it what it is.
If you are a fan of YouTube, or even just an occasional viewer of its content, this is an interesting read. I grew up insatiably consuming videos from my favorite creators, and from time to time they would mention YouTube policy (often in frustration). They would talk about how they changed their content in response to "the algorithm." This book examines how "the algorithm" came to be, what YouTube brass has done to change it, and how sometimes it seems like the code itself is running the show. Mark Bergen manages to write this book about a business in a way that is both captivating and understandable for someone who does not often read nonfiction. I highly, highly recommend.
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