the myth of meritocracy on youtube

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In this video, I discuss Michael Sandel's theory of The Tyranny of Merit and how it relates to the problematic myth of meritocracy on youtube. I specifically apply this to the sector of young female aesthetic/lifestyle/fashion/relatable vloggers and how privileges such as being skinny, white, able-bodied, having disposable income, coupled with the youtube algorithm that allows vloggers to "blow up" (grow very quickly) and makes their success on the platform exponential. Therefore the success of youtubers is more indicative of their luck rather than hard work. This doesn't mean they haven't worked hard at all, but their success does not have a direct correlation to how hard they have worked.
Also sorry for the glare of my (fake) glasses lol.
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[@tiffanyferg]

So so true! There’s usually very little difference between one of a creator’s videos that gets picked up by the algorithm vs one that doesn’t. So much of youtube success comes down to luck and privilege

[@HeyRowanEllis]

I went on the homepage logged out on a new computer the other day and KZbin is very much not pushing anything merit-based even to new users 😅

[@vaniandrea07]

I love seeing Tiffany in here

[@ri3215]

not my two favs interacting 🥺

[@lemonline3719]

@Blue Girl I mean, I mostly get Black women creators and music (mainly by Black artists) because that's what I watch and engage with. That said: yes, when I go to KZbin on, say, a library computer or a computer that I'm not logged into, it will mostly be yt content.

[@princessjello]

Somehow i knew you'd be in the comments for this video lol 🤣

[@HeyItsShey]

Love this! The relationship between privilege, the algorithm, and "success" is so nuanced and I wish more creators acknowledged that.

[@mridul7639]

Honestly, luck is a big factor in most people's success even outside youtube but people think if they're successful & they acknowledge this then it takes away from their work which is not true.

[@JulianSteve]

Me too honestly.

[@1991-present]

Oh my days.. we have the same name.

[@slownightsolongg]

What happens after they acknowledge it?

[@idorine70]

@@anrilaura4185 yes.

[@existentialmel]

video essays by black girls are my new coping mechanism for 2020 thank u so much

[@PHlophe]

i am a bloke, i only follow those. this one landed in my recommendation. my main page is mostly #8b4513 and its 10 years of work that i put into this.

[@LifebyDai]

i totally agree!

[@lenahoprah]

@@PHlophe how I'm tryna be

[@PHlophe]

@@lenahoprah what i was saying was that if you want your main page to be brown you need to follow a lot of of BP and you'll get those recommended too

[@CARATMom]

I literally search for these.

[@noone9472]

The one thing I’d add is accent. So many people in this world speak English and and yet from my experience the top youtubers are mostly all Americans. I rarely see a recommendation from English speaking youtubers like Indians, South Africans, Kenyans, and even less so non native English speakers with a foreign accent. The only times I see a foreigner succeeding they don’t have an accent or its almost non existent

[@shaniquabobbert6128]

I honestly have the opposite problem, I watch a lot of Korean vlogs (with subs) and KZbin keeps recommending me videos in Japanese, Korean or Mandarin, despite me not speaking a word of any of those languages...

[@noone9472]

Shaniqua Bobbert oh I get that! I’m french and speak Spanish and am learning korean too haha, and I get similar things with KZbin recommending me vids in Portuguese, German etc But here I’m taking about vids strictly in English or strictly in French where none of the successful youtubers have a foreigner accent or a non-western sounding native accent I should add that I don’t think it’s necessarily the algorithm that’s at fault because I feel like people in general want to listen to either “the main accent” or their own

[@shaniquabobbert6128]

True and I also feel like non native English speakers cater to speakers of their native language more, especially if they don't live in an English speaking country

[@icon6200]

I agree but I also think youtube is honestly the best place for a lot of countries to find creators from their country because so many countries don't have a movie production center equivalent to Hollywood, so they have few movies in their own language/country and have to watch dubs of american films. Although they aren't as popular, it's really awesome to see vloggers from like Bosnia being able to create their own communities if that makes sense.

[@FabioTheGreat]

The only place that accent won't matter that much is in the tech side of the youtube. But aside from that, accent are the predominant factor.

[@EnnyOwl]

The algorithm is so messed up. I found your channel in june. That was when the companies were suddenly "supporting" black people after the protests and call outs. That month I saw a lot of black creators in my recommended lol

[@GinaTharin]

That's the same way I found this channel! I got a lot of Black youtubers in my recommended and I subscribed to pretty much all of them. So much good content, shame youtube had to become "woke" for a month for them to get exposure Also hi Enny lol

[@clarissagutierrez5015]

Yeah and even now I’m not getting recommended minority anymore. I find new people through recommendations from the people I’m subscribed to

[@dontcallmeimdead.9556]

You guys should watch the documentary: The Social Dilemma. You’ll understand better how social media works and why there are certain things you see and others don’t see. This documentary really opened my eyes. There were some info that I knew, but the ones I didn’t made me go like: 🤯

[@clarissagutierrez5015]

@@dontcallmeimdead.9556 where can I find it?

[@florabescansaluers]

@@clarissagutierrez5015 it’s a Netflix original

[@AtlasPro1]

I'm curious how this applies to channels that don't make any of their physical or economic attributes known to their audience

[@randomtraveler8594]

Like you😂 I watch your videos because of the high quality information and editing I'm always guaranteed to get. I suppose that people are more likely to treat you based on the content you present. Your voice is good to listen to though, so that might play a part🤔

[@thayaneap8197]

mic quality, editing programs, etc. I've also notice that channels with male narrators tend to be more successful in informational channels than the ones with females narrators

[@earlgrey4013]

thayane ap same.. maybe people find a male British voice more assertive and easier to take seriously? I have no efing idea

[@xant8344]

Definitely did NOT expect to see you in these comments lmao that's awesome

[@thayaneap8197]

@Blue Girl totally, and it's so sad because whenever we can't see the person behind the work, in a blog or whatever, most people will assume it's a white guy behind it, because it's who we are used to see as successful in the community

[@emily0071000]

Also you didn’t explicitly mention but being naturally pretty (objectively anyway) definitely lends itself to being more successful in the vlogging/lifestyle sphere

[@Aster_Risk]

Yep. Layers of privilege. Being attractive is definitely one of those.

[@claudiasanchez8996]

@@ScientificAnomalies876 Emma Chamberlain?

[@ines3770]

@@ScientificAnomalies876 she is skinny, white has light eyes and is young. That's enough

[@annr.3038]

Yeah and this attractiveness is usually Eurocentric/Western beauty

[@amanda4540]

especially as a woman

[@hannahinverse]

i loved how you included “able bodied” in your description because i think it’s a privilege or preferred characteristic people don’t often consider

[@ozioma]

reminds me of real life. the wealthier your family the more "luck" you have. we're really just trying to do what we can and hope it pays off :/

[@PHlophe]

Ozioma it applies to everything within that niche. people that are filthy rich tend to be more composed and quieter because they haven't actually faced true adversity and they have to choice to extricate themselves from any sticky situation. Ivanqa trump , is a good case here

[@AbianahAlmeida]

That’s so true people seem to forget that. I’m glad my mom is lower middle/middle class because many of my friends and family live on section 8 and/or in the system. I have FAR more privilege than many people of black people

[@AbianahAlmeida]

I also speak 2 languages and my mom is an African immigrant

[@fromconcreteart]

Netflix’s the social dilemma actually hinted how technology will become increasingly racist over the coming years. I’d love to hear your take about technology in relation to media and society!

[@javierperalta7648]

How Is that? I live in a country where Black people are less than 1% of the population. Thanks to KZbin I've met lots of Black KZbinrs. Technology gave me the opportunity to be exposed to them. Otherwise I would not know absolutely anything about them

[@fromconcreteart]

Javier Peralta what does you being introduced to more black people(congratulations) have to do with the increasing presence of digital racism?

[@javierperalta7648]

@@fromconcreteart I don't even know what you mean wit digital racism, that's why I am asking you

[@fromconcreteart]

Javier Peralta technology and the codes manually built into algorithms were designed to emphasize your interests and then bombard you with it. Everyday the algorithm becomes better at doing that which is cool right? But what if your interest is racist? The algorithm is also getting better reflecting our current society, a society that’s getting more and more polarized every second. If technology can show us the best of humanity it can also bring out the absolute worst of it. And there is no way to stop it unless you change society itself. If you say that you are seeing the benefits of technology that show you more black influencers that you never would’ve seen without apps like KZbin, there is also a dark side which includes massive amounts of hatred towards black people growing at an uncontrollable rate. I use the term digital racism to describe the systematic disadvantages black face in their interactions with technology. There’s proof of Twitters discrimination against black people. A worse example of that is the digital criminal justice system being hyper aware of black people compared to white people. The social dilemma doesn’t talk about the horror of digital racism but it does talk about the large evils hidden behind the rectangle in your hand. I highly recommend watching it.

[@javierperalta7648]

@@fromconcreteart Hmmm that's very interesting actually. I will definitely watch that documentary, thanks for the recommendation and the explanation.

[@ajuntitled]

I'm soo glad you brought up the fact that what makes KZbin special is the content from "ordinary" people. Honestly, thats what draws me back to youtube everytime is seeing people who are just living their lives, maybe in a different way (sometimes the same) as me. Its like watching reality TV but with cool aesthetics and at least 5x less drama. enjoyed this vid!

[@ajuntitled]

@MyHiPoFro Exacctly. I was watching this video on how to light yourself for video and it looked nice but honestly I found it boring and devoid of personality, like where's the flavor??

[@KeliaChien]

So true I love watching it and making vlogs

[@kaedi6452]

the ability to have "good aesthetics" is SO privileged! and without good aesthetics, lifestyle creators just wouldn't have viewers. by the same coin, we usually don't watch shows (even well-written ones) that are visually unappealing. good books still really need to have pretty covers :/

[@ThomasFlight]

Phenomenal breakdown! I've noticed with my own work that effort doesn't equal views. The videos I work the hardest on often perform worse than videos I just pop out on a whim. I think that scales up in general to channels as a whole. How much effort, or how skilled someone is, does not guarantee success on KZbin. It's much closer to talent + having the secret sauce the algo wants.

[@starpilotalliance]

Been a subscriber to your channel for a while, not sure how I found it but I use search often for specific things. Typically related to films or filmmaking. Since my searches are specific I see a lot of channels that have few subscribers. Whether I subscribe is based on 3 things; the quality of the content, the quality of the video (not necessarily image quality but ease of watch, such as delivery and editing), and then I look if they upload at least monthly. No point in subscribing to someone who hasn't uploaded in the past year. (I say, having not uploaded on my actual channel in about that long)

[@JulianSteve]

What you are saying is true... My most popular video (currently) is me visiting Clason Point Park. I never expected that, but that is what happened. Sure, my growth is slow, but I am optimistic!

[@olivergilpin]

Video ideas are key as MrBeast suggests. Seems your definition of effort is about the video itself, not the idea

[@AC-mp7cx]

its supply and demand

[@AuthenticInFashion]

I’ve complained in a survey on KZbin that it’s so hard to find new faces because my explore page and the search is swamped by professional uploaders and creators with subscribers in the million. For some strange reason I now do get smaller youtubers recommended to me but no black or POC ones, who are the ones I am always searching and trying to find. So I am one step closer but not really. I also wish there was a “people-tab” where you could search specifically for new creators with a smaller subscriber count. It would make everything so much easier. TikTok is somewhat better at that, as it is much easier to go viral there.

[@MyNamesChai]

when you said "on the flipside you're gonna have that mindset where all your failure equals your lack of worth or lack of value" i felt that one of the biggest things i've had to un-learn after being on KZbin for over 13 years now. growing up with views and subscribers and followers, that stuff is awful for someones mental health, and then if you're lucky enough to do this for a job like i was, having that added pressure can be terrible for a persons self worth and confidence. thanks for making this. great video dude!

[@cecilialu2807]

SOCIOECONOMIC PRIVILEGE ,,, the base requirement for being a youtube vlogger 🥴

[@cecilialu2807]

the way nyc just be be vibing in ur glasses!!

[@amandamaryanna]

ahaha it really do be vibing there

[@haruko1501]

The money you need just to get a decent camera and a mic to vlog! 😭

[@colorfulcodes]

People prefer to watch people doing better than them or who they want to live through.

[@science3816]

Don't forget conventional attractiveness in 99% of cases

[@elizatreaty2643]

My dad has the saying, "All successful people are hardworking, but not all hardworking people are successful." As I grow up, I feel like the only thing that differentiates the two is luck and chance. (disclaimer: ik there are exceptions to this anecdote like trust fund babies and like 0.01% of people who are ultra rich and can live off their wealth for multiple generations)

[@helinika]

What you mention at 1:58 is very important! I have noticed how different success is perceived in Europe and in the US. And now I understand why so many Americans are against any government funding for those in need. It stems from the belief that they deserve this for "not trying" or "not working enough".

[@themumblingdumpling2838]

"The American Dream"!

[@veracity-]

People put too way much stock in their own agency/capability. When in reality, most of what makes up a person was decided randomly before they were born/ without their input: race, biological sex, who your parents are, where you grow up, what era you were born, the electrochemistry of your brain, etc. Not to say that a person's life is completely predetermined and they can't affect their path with their own will and decisions. But I think, in America at least, people are...ashamed of their privilege? In a sense that people get very uncomfortable/upset when you bring up the fact of their privilege or people try to make it seem like their position/success is 100% a result of their hard work. We all need to reach some level of honesty: a LOT of life is just random occurrences/chance meetings/ lucky timing that we take advantage of or gain privilege from in some way. Really enjoy your videos! They always get me thinking! :)

[@maxscene7]

I think theyre ashamed of their privilege because they think their work is 100 percent theirs, like they feel that the one pointimg out their pirvilege is saying they never worked hard, etc etc. So i think its great she mentioned it in the video!

[@bullenmabior9220]

Humans are, to certain degrees, selfish creatures and people who seemingly believe their world exists in a bubble are perfect examples, these are the people that believe their success was purely based on their hard work and not assisted by the pre-existing conditions. On Americans being ashamed of their privileged; I believe that comes from the lie that is the American dream. If the American dream is to pull yourself up by your bootstraps then you have to hide the privilege, and so you end up with people who pretend they weren’t born on a elevator to success.

[@chungleandthebims167]

I personally don't believe that most people are ashamed of their privilege. It's quite truthful that they are just ignorant that it's a little boost from privilege and not hard work that brought them the success they currently have.

[@QUEENCHAI]

@MyHiPoFro omg someone said it😭 I thought I was the only one lmaooo

[@tessy28]

Tbh I think having a high Internal locus is very important. Most successful people are kind of delusional to an extent because their sheer internal self drive and esteem is so high. It has to be in order to push past the barriers that they may face.

[@emmacandland9755]

Dude ur literally the best creator on here. How do u not have more subs?? Every video is so well thought out and interesting. You could make a video about dust and I would watch it. The content we didn't ask for and don't deserve

[@fromconcreteart]

You know why 👀

[@amandamaryanna]

awww that is so sweet thank you :))

[@thenomadpath8904]

I'm actually unfollowing many influencers mainly based off the fact that a lot of content is solely based on promoting products. What's so off putting is that the products have absolutely NOTHING to do with the content. I understand this is how KZbinrs make their income but it's become so cheesy at this point. Just like watching one of those late night infomercials.

[@CynicalDuchess]

Thats funny, product promotion never bothered me. I feel like it has always been a nessecary part of making money on youtube, especially when people sometimes get so little from Adsense. Unless you have a successful product line of merchandise that people are actually buying, sponsorships are imperative for monetary success. I don't see why it's a stigma at all

[@storageheater]

@@CynicalDuchess I didn't mind the product promotion at first for the same reasons as you - they've got to get paid, but after a while I started feeling like the people I liked were brands, and that they were being coloured irretrievably by how much they said they liked products I felt to be scams or manipulative. There's something extra unpleasant to me about it being so personalised, knowing that this was such a valuable thing for marketers because it turns everyone into an influencer. I probably would have never cared if they'd all stuck to Audible, Squarespace and Skillshare, but now they all seem insidious

[@KhadijaMbowe]

Me: Out here busting my ass on these video essays trying to put out good content thinking that just the hard work will manifest results. Amanda: Let's talk about the myth of meritocracy on KZbin Me: ... loved this though, thank you!

[@amandamaryanna]

I believe in manifestation too sis don't worry!!

[@fromconcreteart]

Felt this 😭

[@WhenRavenChats]

Khadija Mbowe You write video essays? Omg that’s my type of content I enjoy 😊

[@KhadijaMbowe]

@@amandamaryanna lol amennn

[@KhadijaMbowe]

@@WhenRavenChats Yasss, I honestly love doing them/watching them as well. It's the future of education in my opinion...

[@notedna]

Try not to say “if that makes sense” because you’re making very valid points!! Honestly meritocracy is a myth in all parts of life and not just KZbin. And it’s true youtubers that aren’t the standard of beauty blow up only when another factor allows them to break through the barrier. I hope more black KZbinrs can soon branch out from the typical hair tutorials and haul videos into the relatability/get to know me/just talking in front of a camera videos.

[@javettedavis8286]

I love this comment. I think there are a lot of us out here.. we just aren’t being picked up. Hopefully one day soon 🤞🏾

[@JulianSteve]

I like this comment!!!!! Too bad I am not being picked out... Imma still go hard in my videos though!

[@fina3472]

okay the part about how poc also have to be funny or have a talent to be popular is SO true:(

[@KierraNichole]

This was oddly encouraging. I just returned a whole bunch of stuff I bought for a video I thought "would do well" but I didn't actually want to make. I had a little epiphany that if I do what the hell I want regardless of who watches, eventually someone will appreciate it.

[@SorchaRattigan]

QueenKie Yessss plus it just ends up that we buy into consumption more and more and that just feels icky to me. Just subscribed because your vids look interesting so do you ☺️

[@TheBlackCinephile]

I try to follow Black content creators, whether it's vloggers or commentary channels, but even the Black KZbinrs that I follow are so much smaller compared to the white/non-Black KZbinrs I follow. And even in the type of videos that I make, which are based on video essays, it's so hard to find women who are in this niche, let alone women of color! I feel like that's common in almost every subsection here on KZbin, it's usually white content creators, or white male creators depending on what niche of KZbin you're looking at, that rise to the top. And you have people of color/women of color who are still successful, but are nowhere near the level of white creators, in terms of subscribers for example. But it's not really surprising, because in a way, KZbin is reflective of the real world and how certain groups are rewarded based on attributes that society deems as "worthy". But like you said, a lot of these creators, regardless of race, put a lot of effort and time into the content that they make, but the rewards that are given (engagement, views, subscribers, etc.) are really unbalanced when you look at white creators vs. creators of color Also side note, your glasses are super cute!

[@nicolecondez1072]

if you don't already you should watch kelly stamps!! she's so funny. you might like her

[@TheBlackCinephile]

@@nicolecondez1072 I’m subscribed to her already :) lol she’s the best

[@kiara_lofi]

I did a video essay too on body confidence/positive but it didn't get that much traffic but I'm a small channel so that's okay recently I've been thinking about making a part 2 and starting vlogging my thing with vlogging is giving people access to my life it scares me lowkey

[@princessn2275]

They’re sooo hard to find, especially in terms of woc so I was really happy when this video got recommended to me ☺️✨

[@zcalhoun3638]

Ik it’s so annoying :// if I could recommend you anyone, it would b ItsKeisha and Courtreezy. They’re both young black woman creators who do a variety of content. And of course I’m guessing you know D’angelo

[@paigeo1998]

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell is a really great book that touches on how privilege, luck, chance and hard work all intertwine in someone's story of success or failure!! I highly recommend it if your'e interested in stories of success! Great video by the way!!

[@amandamaryanna]

I've read it... totally agree!

[@storageheater]

the “10,000-hour rule” is a damaging fiction though, unfortunately

[@taliyahsdiary3620]

This is so true!!! (I literally wrote a paper on meritocracy omg) Unlearning that hard work=success is hard because we are taught since we were literally born that we can achieve anything we want if we work hard enough. It places the blame on the individual rather than acknowledging privilege. Tbh, it gets frustrating when you see people say getting popular on here or even Tik Tok is easy (or easily attainable) when you try a lot and don't receive that instant gratification.

[@haruruwu]

I agree with so much of what you said. I’ve started a KZbin channel to talk about mental health, I’ve discussed suicide, self harm and metal illnesses in general. It’s so hard to spread those videos. I speak in Spanish and I normally do it for Peruvians since I have resources that could help for Peru which makes it even worse. The last video I made was all about suicide for the suicide prevention day and it’s one of the worsts in term of views but it is the best one because it has so much useful information. It’s so hard to keep on going but I won’t stop because I want to help. In Latin America, mental health is still such a taboo topic, it’s so much worse than in the us, sooooo much worse. Peru specially it’s a country in which they don’t even register suicide rates correctly. So that is why I am doing my best to keep talking about it. But it gets kind of hard seeing how many videos that could even be harmful get millions of views :( Anyways, creators like you inspire me to keep going 🥺

[@posiblementeari]

First of all, me alegra mucho encontrar una compatriota por acá, tu canal me parece interesante 🇵🇪 I agree that topics like mental health and depression deserves to be discussed more, so I'm also glad that you did the first step to spread awareness in Spanish. Sometimes I felt frustrated too that my videos doesn't do well (mainly video essays in Spanish with English subtitles for the video gets more reach, I guess), but that won't stop me, I just gotta keep doing my thing and improving.

[@Aster_Risk]

I loved reading this. I hope you keep making your videos since there's probably a lack of that content for that audience.

[@haruko1501]

@@posiblementeari Fellow Latin American queens! (I'm Mexican btw) and yeah, language is another big barrier for POC from non-English speaking countries. Btw, I saw you are into sustainability, me too! I have a small, tiny teeny instagram account and have been debating whether to open a KZbin channel because of the points mentioned in this video. I imagine how hard it is when your channel is in Spanish since people tend to go towards English speaking channels :(

[@wildsiempre3716]

Keep going Latinos need to see the video and hear the message and heal.

[@thelastasmrchannel5734]

Her glasses be like 🏢-🏢

[@johnanderson1804]

Wow this video is so well explained and you’re not a data scientist it’s so brilliant how you explain algorithms without getting into all of the numbers and the nitty-gritty great job Amanda!!!!

[@amandamaryanna]

Glad it was helpful!

[@apopofculture]

I love this video! You’re so right! As a small content creator, it’s exhausting to be told by successful KZbinrs who don’t edit their own videos & who have camera people to work harder when you’re already doing everything yourself. The KZbin algorithm parallels our actual society a lot in who sees the most success.

[@wooddynnedejeanlouis]

You’re so right, I definitely don’t see any dark skin lifestyle girls and I definitely understand that there is base line attributes that make some people more successful than others on this platform.

[@FrancescaGabrie]

I loved this video! SM to think about. Specifically, I found it interesting how you pointed out the "exponential reward rate" of KZbin. as a creator on the other end of that spectrum - putting in up to 40 hours on vlogs that barely crack 300 views, along with the knowledge OF this exponential reward rate, my lack thereof, and the shifting monetary emphasis of the platform it seems as though content creation is more discouraging than ever. And then when you relate it to the privilege aspect, things start to click into place, about needing "extra layers of value" and being so out of control about whether or not KZbin will lock you in it's algorithm's good graces. I think it is worth it for smaller creators to remind themselves that, if they are still yet to get lucky, your creation and art and voice and influence can still have value without you being the Poster Girl of your niche or stumbling upon millions of screens. Like, create for the sake of it and b authentic even if it means you may not fit the mould. Authenticity > Adsense: a mantra lmfao

[@SorchaRattigan]

Francesca Gabrie authenticity > Adsense yesssss 🙌🏼❤️ love this

[@dinchakno]

Same thing happens on Instagram. But the more people know about this truth the more people will be confident about themselves instead of placing their worth in the hands of he algorithms. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. ... PS: has anyone else noticed that the algorithm is favoring intellectual POCs and fashion blogging Asian females?

[@tjdriver7098]

Yea I’m really curious why it’s specifically Asian-American females that kinda dominate the aesthetic fashion and lifestyle blogging I haven’t seen that on other sides of KZbin

[@dinchakno]

Earlier this year the algorithm picked bestdressed apartment tour video and blew it up, since that worked they’re pushing more Asian-American female fashion bloggers with the same personalities in our main feeds. Like she said, ad revenue is the most important thing to KZbin, so whatever they can Push to get the most views and subscribers will make more money for the company with more ad views.

[@mayarose3217]

You articulated so much of what I feel every day watching KZbin! It feels so easy for people in the upper class to find success in vlogging etc, when they already naturally happen to fit a lot of the prerequisite influencer attributes based on the social class they were born into. Being rich is the influencer starter pack!

[@bugbugbug3469]

the skinny thing is so true. youtubers like emma chamberlain and bestdressed start out normal looking and then quickly become extremely skinny as they become more popular. it's like theyre turning into what the algorithm wants

[@eightrm]

you’re honestly such a gem. i usually cannot sit down and watch a video that’s more on the informational, discussion side but you always capture my full attention. your content really is something else and im really looking forward to the great things that will soon come your way. i also think it was super nice that you added at the end to not feel discouraged about starting youtube because for a minute i was kind of thinking “aww man” but as we got closer to the end, your words motivated me a lot. i don’t know how soon i’ll take that step to branch into youtube but if i do, you definitely play a huge part in motivating me !!

[@マライカのスクラップブック]

as a small youtuber, and someone who sometimes makes lifestyle & vlog videos , this is very very valuable. I work really hard on my videos and but I'm aware sometimes that's not enough. The algorithm = success

[@thebootlegscholar898]

I really appreciate amd respect the fact that you had a conversation on luck and privilege, without negating people's hard work. You're such a gem❤

[@tobithetabby6376]

Finally someone's talking about it. I think there's a lack of discussion about it in the KZbin community because I feel like creators want to believe their success is based mostly on their hard work. (not trying to shame creators here. Hard work is valuable and is a factor in success, but there are other factors like luck) But at the same time, creators and viewers alike acknowledge that the algorithm is complex af, and that creators are incentivized to value engagement more than hard work, passion, etc when creating content (which is why I hated the whole Cuties discourse because I felt that a lot of creators were more interested in cashing in on a controversy rather than actually having a nuanced discussion about it.) Numbers, whether it be subscriber numbers, the number of views on a video, and the number of likes or dislikes does not determine whether I personally enjoy something or not (and I feel like a lot of people are letting those factors influence their tastes, which is honestly sad) I kinda went on a bit of a rant, sorry about that. Good video.

[@PogieJoe]

Hell yeah. This discussion needs to happen in every field.

[@sentfromheaven00]

Another amazing video! Meritocracy in a capitalist system is a myth, especially in the United States. Many people cannot be successful on KZbin or social media because they have other priorities such as working 2 jobs so that they can feed and house their kids. And I always see people say "If you really want to do it you will find a way" No, that's not how it works, many people CANNOT find a way.

[@tarynn2657]

You are like my biggest role model and I love your videos. I’ve never seen someone on KZbin who realized these issues and talks about them that looks like me.

[@amandamaryanna]

aw thank you so much :))

[@zoecloud8280]

Ain't this the truth! I went back and forth on whether I even wanted to start a KZbin channel for these very reasons, but finally decided I just wanted to do it regardless of the odds.

[@fromconcreteart]

Took that leap too, don’t regret it yet

[@simplysophie2548]

100% facts, I tend to struggle finding other black youtubers who fit into the lifestyle category. The algorithm always highlights white / light Black / POC bodies. I tend to search specifically for channels that aren’t being highlighted because there are a lot of talented content creators that aren’t getting the recognition that they deserve.

[@timmoe3370]

Life style is over saturated gotta bring new shit to the table. Find a spot in the market that doesn’t get much coverage and make new lanes. That’s how you come out ahead

[@kiracarver988]

I love how expansive your vocabulary is, and especially that you never come off as pedantic or rehearsed because of it. I feel like a lot of content creators have a way of ARRANGING words, but speaking them naturally is trickier for them. Typically it seems like someone who's using a diverse vocabulary is only doing so to appear a certain way, but in your case I can tell this is just your natural persona (even assuming you script or outline what you're going to say, you know what I mean). Anyway, great video, if you don't skyrocket in subs within the next year, I think we all know it's not for lack of merit lol.

[@christinekinz985]

i wish this had more views it’s so important to understand this

[@nicoburbs]

So well researched and spoken in this video Amanda! We STAN!!!!!!!!!

[@amandamaryanna]

thank you!! :)

[@anaboozy._.6438]

Video Essays on topics like this have taken up my entire page, and I am grateful for it.

[@alexawatchingyoutube]

I just found your channel and I’m so glad I did! This is the first video of yours I’ve seen, but I just saved a lot of your other content because you seem to be putting out content I love to watch. I’m glad the algorithm is now showing me more content from POC with less than 2 million subscribers.

[@mynameisliana]

It does feel so hard in the beginning since success makes it “easier”, but hard work leads to the success, with a little luck sprinkled on top. Casey Neistat mentioned his first 10,000 subs were harder to get than 10mil, or any other milestone. The authentic passion behind it is obviously what keeps people going, and shows they’re in it for the right reasons. But at the same time, it can be hard spending 40+ hours on a video and then getting no more than 300 views, as others have said. I was watching a KZbin advice video mentioning that in the beginning she took a small break. She said when she came back she only had 300 views on new vids and “no one was watching”. She meant well, but it was a little discouraging, because some of my stuff is lucky to have that many eyes. I just have to remember the reason I want to be creative, and know that I’m lucky anyone wants to watch. I’m currently making a video about not comparing yourself, because it’s something that I’ve struggled with a lot and it sometimes feels impossible to stop, but it’s not. I love looking back at large creators’ old videos because you can see the time/work they’ve put in. Many of them have comments/descriptions excitedly thanking their subscribers after hitting 50, 100, 200 subs, etc. It honestly puts things into perspective for me as cheesy as it sounds. Haha I love the vid. You made such good points!

[@nicolegoose567]

I needed this :) the beginning/ foundation is always hard but this reminded me that I need to work to keep my foundation solid

[@megz4432]

Great video girl! I'm really glad you acknowledge that being an abled body is an important attribute. A lot of people take it for granted and aren't aware that people with disabilities have a greater difficult time of making it on this platform. Or any platform really.

[@NasirFleming]

This is what we needed to hear. Often times, we beat ourselves up for factors that are literally out of our control. Thank you so much for this! :)

[@AlexandraGodinho2402]

i love ur speaking videos! u're rly good with words i normally can't focus on someone continuously :) i rly like hearing ur takes on wtv topic

[@iz314]

Just found you today and am seriously loving your channel. This kind of discussion is something I don't really see on KZbin and this is SO so needed. You should make a podcast, I would listen!

[@enigmafest965]

it's crazy that the youtube algorithm led me here too but i'm so glad it did. this was so enlightening and interestingggg!! ur so well-spoken and not to mention stunning 🥺💗

[@WhySoAwkward]

Can already tell this video is about to be a banger!

[@Sthuthukile]

Nathan Zed is my favourite KZbinr. He's been on here as long as pewdiepie but still sitting on 500k subscribers, no doubt because he's poc. Same thing with Kianna Naomi. She does fashion content and vlogging with around 900k subscribers but youtube doesn't even show her in the search bar.

[@jannellol]

Nathan zed uploaded like twice every year throughout this whole career, maybe that’s why

[@Sthuthukile]

@@jannellol ya know what... That's a fair point.

[@Becky0494]

@@Sthuthukile yikes, yeah that’s a huuuuge factor then. For YTers to really grow as fast as possible, it’s best to upload like at least once a week. I’ll check these folks out regardless!

[@divinencounters]

I noticed that about Kianna, too!

[@bluebunny2154]

I am so happy I found your channel , creators like you really do change for the better what the yt platform will look like in the future ✨💛

[@mauve9266]

Like how they say your first client is your hardest client to get and your second is your second hardest and so on

[@kmukono4536]

Your think pieces are the best! So enlightening and refreshing 💖💖

[@dextercyanide8912]

Also I think a lot of viewers tend to be biased towards content that already has a high view count, it’s something I’ve caught myself doing and talked about it with lots of people.

[@TheRacingWind]

I just... love you so much and love your takes and love your voice even. Thank you so much for talking about this and being awesome

[@mythierror404]

The insights you provide in your videos are incredible and help me to better understand where I once didn't. I had a channel from 2005 it got hijacked but I have seen the way KZbin has changed. And this insight has provided more understanding to how and why it changed. Keep making the great content!

[@sarahdaus5662]

great video!! you said so much of what i've been thinking about lately (and more) adapted for this topic very eloquently.

[@gabrielverapr]

yeasss!! LOVED how you were able to analyze so well! Also we have the SAMEEEE recommended feed!

[@ryandury]

I read the Tyranny of Merit and absolutely loved watching his Harvard lecture series. This intersection of meritocracy and the internet (more broadly speaking) has crossed my mind. I think you wrapped this up really well. As you said, the internet has largely removed some of the biggest barriers to success, namely access to an audience, be it in film, music or other art forms. Sites like etsy, shopify and youtube have democratized the market in ways we've never seen before. Still, there are immutable traits that reward people with more attention, especially in the 'lifestyle brand' category. Thanks for the video!

[@LifebyDai]

There's this whole niche that I just found out about, thanks to the comments, " video essays" and I love it. This was really good.

[@G2girl18]

You're so spot on. I think some people call it the just world problem or just world fallacy? It's such a hard mindset to deconstruct, but it's so important to understand the role of luck and privilege in success of all kinds.

[@trin1277]

Very detailed video. Pleaseeeee keep these informative videos coming. SO unique :)

[@natalyawasson9078]

Yeah it def was formulated when I “found” your channel. It was after the BLM marches in June 👀I also lean towards tik tok more now because it seems easier to find people who are autistic like me without the whole family exploitation blogs vibes with it. I love your video essays and they always feels genuine 💛

[@malik4311]

I like the angle's you take on videos. The texture of your voice, your writing, and the editing all makes for one enjoyable video for me to be inspired by!

[@WhenRavenChats]

Wow, this was so needed as I decided not to focus on views and just content . I never had a big social media audience because I am too cool for it. I decided to grow organically and the right folks will find me. I’m loving your essays, sis. All the best with school.

[@serenity6831]

I thought this said "the myth of mediocrity on KZbin" I was like 🤨, This video was awesome!

[@izzy350]

same tho

[@michellehickman5808]

Thank you so much for your content! This is the first video I've seen of yours! Keep speaking your truth! I hope more people become aware of these "behind-the-scenes" concepts that are happening.

[@maxine1246]

Im so glad I found your channel, all your videos are so educating and entertaining 😊

[@birdyposting]

i love your content so much!!! i can watch these analysis for so long!!

[@communismenjoyer1858]

idk why but I love the reflection in your glasses of the buildings outside your window its so nice

[@starbaby910]

ahh I love hearing your thoughts! one of my videos blew up out of nowhere and that was like a year after it was made. mostly bc it was a room makeover video and a lot of people were redoing their homes during quarantine I guess. and then there’s always the pressure to beat your own video but a lot of it comes down to luck and the algorithm...and capitalism. as a small “creator” I needed to hear this haha thank you

[@taliyahsdiary3620]

I love your content!! It is so informative yet topical

[@Aster_Risk]

Loved this video. I really liked that you mentioned being able-bodied is part of the precedent. I feel like that gets left out of these discussions too often. Not being able-bodied can make it difficult to meet the type of schedule that is usually considered hard work.

[@madelynnspear4935]

so thoughtfully put!

[@theextralifewithethan4846]

you always open my eyes to things I never thought of before and I always end up learning something

[@samanthaharper9522]

I found a new commentary channel to obsess over! Absolutely love this and your personality, you have a new supporter! 🤎

[@SeverineHowellMeri]

This is put together so so well! you're speaking straight facts and thank you for bringing this to your audience!

[@lisbetteacosta1370]

this is great! i actually heard him speak about his book two days ago, so this is so topical for me. thank you for your content!

[@mollymelon2262]

Love your videos! An interesting thing I've noticed in my own personal KZbin watching experience is that a KZbinr's success can be very relative to their content category. For example Hey Nadine is considered to be one of the most successful travel-oriented channels and she has around 491k subscribers, respectively whereas Lexie Lombard, a lifestyle KZbinr has around 400k subscribers and is considered only moderately successful compared to her peers. Both Lexie and Nadine have posted consistently on their channels for 10+ years and Kelly Stamps, a comedy/lifestyle-ish KZbinr has been posting consistently for only over a year and has 457k subscribers, respectively. So idk it's kind of interesting with the algorithm and how content category can sometimes be a factor in a KZbinr's success.

[@verascheffer496]

Really happy I discovered your channel! Keep up the amazing work ❤️

[@agua_pan]

great vid! really making me consider things I didn't notice before!

[@cait3196]

kind of wanna see your take on the idea of priveledge in the context of the makeup community. the 2 biggest subbed and richest makeup creators are lgbtq+ men. and out of the biggest makeup creators, i'd say a very big portion are lgbtq+ men, adding in nikita among others. kind of interesting considering that makeup is usually aimed at teen/young adult women with expendable money.

[@EarthyReenz]

I love that there's a growing niche on youtube that features video essays. These conversations are so important to have but not widely searched or available. thank you so much for taking the time to do this! Instantly subbed :)

[@BebethVaz]

Omg! Thank you so much for sharing this type of content on KZbin.

[@emilyjosephine]

this is such an informative video! i think this issue needs to be addressed more because a lot of people don't even consider it when they're consuming media from youtube, tiktok, etc. this definitely educated me on the topic :)

[@mahikareddy6016]

i really really love your hair! It looks so good!

[@fagerdam]

Great video! I get so many views when I do haul videos! I’ve realized an easy way for me to get more followers on KZbin and Instagram would be to just shop like crazy and do hauls and tag shops all the time. I do content about planners and bulletjournaling and the consumerism in that niche is getting crazier all the time. I don’t want to contribute to that and social media is just a hobby for me so I don’t want to go crazy with the hauls and the showing of products. But it’s so tempting. It would be so easy.

[@AlanaISmith]

love hearing your perspective on things!

[@Adrienne000]

as usual you have made an excellently researched video 😎👏🏾

[@k_drive]

omg yeah once the all knowing algorithm picks a channel to promote it does not stop! it gets so hard as a viewer to sift through all the popular channels that are so aggressively promoted to find the small ones. like a part of why channels grow in popularity is because they're popular (which is the same for any information dispersion actually).

[@nilenicelle]

I just came across your channel and I love the content you create. it’s so amazing and inspiring