Beyond the Like Button: The Real Cost of YouTube Help
The YouTube Trap: When Helping Turns to Chasing Views
Many people want to help others, which is why they start a YouTube channel. But over time, as they interact with the algorithm, their focus shifts from being helpful to gaining more reach.
We need to understand the incentive structure here.
I'm writing a book on addiction, and from my personal experience, I know it takes a lot of hard work and deep thinking. My goal in writing this book is to make it easy to understand and apply so that through word of mouth, more people will buy and benefit from it.
But what is the incentive for publishing a YouTube video? You can make more money, become famous, or achieve similar goals. How do you get there? By becoming famous. And how do you become famous or go viral? By feeding the algorithm what it wants.
Often, what the algorithm wants is not useful. In fact, most of the time, what the algorithm wants is not useful.
If you go to YouTube in incognito mode, you can see what YouTube recommends. This is the core of the algorithm.
If you try to give the same boring advice on YouTube, the algorithm won't support you. Your message won't reach many people, so you have no incentive to be helpful.
So what does a typical YouTuber do? They start feeding the algorithm novel and innovative content. The algorithm likes this, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it will be helpful.
YouTube has a big problem: advice is given from one to many. Every person is different, with unique needs, circumstances, and cultures. Therefore, one piece of advice cannot fit all.
This is where the damage starts.
For example, a student asked Cal Newport for advice on being productive. He found so many app recommendations and systems on YouTube that learning them all was overwhelming. Cal simply advised him to read his book to excel in his academics. That's it.
To get advice:
This method of improving our daily life is long and boring. Most people don't have this level of patience, and YouTube fills this gap. YouTube is instant, interesting, and novel.
One Size Fits None: Why YouTube Can't Solve Your Problems
When you're new to something, your natural tendency is to trust. It doesn't matter how many times you've been betrayed or cheated; you'll still tend to trust those who teach or sell you things.
YouTube is a recent phenomenon in India. It's been less than a decade since Jio made the internet cheap. Quality content on YouTube has increased since 2019. Before that, everyone was getting views. But with this rise in popularity, scams also increased.
Nowadays, many people on YouTube claim to show you how to make money. They even load real-time data from websites to prove it. But later, you find out that anyone with basic CSS and JavaScript skills can fake that.
We got exposed to financial education and learned that compounding is great, so we invest in shares and mutual funds, only to realize that real estate is also important. It's paradoxical that many financial influencers promoting renting over buying actually live in their own homes. If renting is so beneficial, why don't they sell their homes, invest the money, and buy a new house later with extra profit? They don't do this because they aren't confident in their own advice.
Similar issues exist in productivity. People sell all kinds of ideas in the name of productivity. For example, one creator said to track every hour of your day. While tracking time sounds great, it’s not the only factor. Circumstances, energy, diet, exercise, and current thinking levels all influence how we spend our time. Different contexts lead to different outcomes.
In the field of health, millions are guided online about what to eat and what to avoid. Every other YouTuber is an expert in Ayurveda. I saw a video by a doctor with an MD who said ashwagandha is beneficial. But my Ayurvedic doctor advised against taking ashwagandha in the summer because it has a hot potency. Following the doctor's advice, many people might face issues like increased thirst, breakouts, and body heat.
Spirituality isn't untouched either. Anyone can claim to be a saint, give life-changing advice, write commentaries on the Vedas and Puranas, or teach meditation. For example, Swami Rama demonstrated the samadhi state under lab conditions to American scientists. However, other than Om Swamiji, I haven't heard of any spiritual leader who can demonstrate their claims under lab conditions. Many read the books of enlightened beings and vomit their words, but the impact isn't the same. Despite thousands of spiritual organizations and millions of followers, the same people often end up involved in scams and crimes.
Startups have become overhyped. Many don't consider jobs as an option, brainwashing smart people into ventures bound to fail. Survivorship bias means only the survivors share their achievements, and it's the winners who write history. Yes, some actors slept on railway stations and succeeded, but millions are still waiting for their chance.
I've spent a lot of time listening to advice and counter-advice and witnessing the reality of those who give it.
Here's what I can say: it's up to you if you want to believe what you watch, listen to, or read online. Chances are, 80% of it is false or modified. A person might appear successful, only to later be exposed as a fraud.
领英推荐
How to trust? Whom to trust?
Ancient sages say the entire creation pervades because of truth. Believing the next person is telling the truth is in our DNA. We can't change that overnight.
There are two options: subscribe to both sides to evaluate from different perspectives (and waste a LOT of time) or don't follow anyone(and SAVE a LOT of time). Instead, make your to-do list, set your goals, and work on achieving them. If you get stuck, seek advice from someone who has achieved what you want, read their books, or take their courses.
Use your device; don't let your device use you.
There are two kinds of people: those who have money and those who have time. Those with time consume online content and are likely to make mistakes once they get money. Those with money should focus on earning more and hire professionals to help them grow in desired areas.
It's time to distinguish between our inner voice and outer noise. I don't follow many people.
TL;DR
- People start YouTube channels to help others but end up chasing reach due to the algorithm.
- Writing a book on addiction requires hard work; the goal is to make it understandable for word-of-mouth promotion.
- YouTube incentives include money and fame, achieved by feeding the algorithm, often with unhelpful content.
- YouTube's algorithm favors novel content, not necessarily useful advice.
- Effective advice process: find a successful person, source their information, apply it, evaluate results.
- YouTube fills the gap for instant, interesting content, but it's not always reliable.
- People tend to trust new sources despite past betrayals.
- YouTube in India gained popularity with cheap internet, increasing quality content and scams.
- Many YouTubers fake success, misleading viewers.
- Financial and productivity advice on YouTube often ignores personal context.
- Health advice on YouTube can be misleading without considering individual conditions.
- Spirituality suffers from false claims; few can demonstrate their claims scientifically.
- Startups are overhyped, leading to survivorship bias.
- Trusting online advice is risky; much of it is false or modified.
- Options: evaluate both sides or avoid following anyone to save time.
- Focus on personal goals, seek advice from proven achievers and use your device wisely.
- Distinguish between inner voice and outer noise.