If you are a loyal user of YouTube, then you might have noticed the recent problems that the site had with the dislike button and the public furor that has followed. It has been quite the debacle in online news, and many prominent YouTubers have spoken up about it. In this article, we will study the happenings one by one, as they began, and try to make sense of what exactly went on there. So, without further ado, let’s get started!
Understanding YouTube
YouTube is an online platform where users share their videos with the world. You can find everything from music and documentaries to cute cats and animals there, and it is for this reason that it is the world’s most organically accessed site with more than two billion active users every month. So, when YouTube resolutions like this get passed, a lot of people are bound to have strong opinions.
The Removal of the Dislike Button
In November of 2021, YouTube decided to pull the plug on the dislike button. Previously, every video gave users the option to like and dislike it – as per their thoughts and opinions. It was a way for viewers to communicate their opinions directly, other than comments, and was part of the video analytics that every content creator on YouTube had access to.
By removing the Dislike button, YouTube wanted to protect its creators from hate and trolling. If a dislike counter was extraordinarily high, then the video got copious amounts of hate and vitriol from users. Sometimes, this could be unjustified. Other times, it could very well be justified.
YouTube had the best of intentions in mind for their actions, and the need to protect users is understandable. If popular content creators quit after receiving hate, YouTube loses a lot of ad revenue. It was a best of both worlds scenario, and the company seemed to be adamant about it.
Repercussions and Fallout
People did not like this change, to say the least. The dislike counter showed the number of dislikes in proportion to the likes and was a sign of whether or not a video was worth the time. Dislikes were also a measure for the content creators themselves to know whether something they did worked or not and for realizing where they could improve.
With all that being taken away, only likes could be left on videos. Forcefully creating an environment of positivity does not work, and when users can’t simply hit the dislike button and move one, they will swarm the comment section en masse to voice their frustrations. That is any content creator’s worst nightmare, more so than a few dislikes.
The Dislikes Return… or Do They?
YouTube remedied this to an extent by restoring the Dislike button after a few days. However, the dislike counter was now hidden from view. Not just from users but also content creators. The people making the videos had no idea whether what they did was wrong or could be improved. Reading an endless list of comments is not easy when compared to simply looking at analytics and finding the number of dislikes prominently displayed.
YouTube refused to make any further changes. While they did restore the dislike counter for private use by content creators, the public could no longer see the number of dislikes on any video. Prominent YouTubers like PewDiePie and MKBHD have come forward, putting up opinions against this course of action. While this might force the policy makers to rethink their decision, for they cannot risk losing such big names, it does not seem very likely.
Even Jawed Karim, the co-founder of YouTube, who uploaded the first-ever video on the now-viral video sharing site, had a few things to say. On the landmark video “Me at the zoo,” he changed the video description. It now reads, among other things: “Why would YouTube make this universally disliked change? There is a reason, but it’s not a good one and not one that will be publicly disclosed. Instead, there will be references to various studies. Studies that apparently contradict the common sense of every YouTuber.”
Why Did YouTube Do This? What’s Next?
Evidently, this action was prompted by nothing but experimentation. The object was to streamline the visuals and make the appearance of the site more appealing. However, if such a thing comes at the cost of functionality, and widespread negativity that the company is happy to ignore, then there will be even more negativity to come.
Some users have unsubscribed. Some have started petitions to bring the dislike counter back. It is plain to see that the vast majority of people did not like the changes and that the company is willing to do nothing about it. This does not inspire a lot of confidence with the management, and with YouTube’s penchant for changing and creating new rules and algorithms on the fly, this seems like a trend that is going to continue.
Final Thoughts
Whether or not YouTube makes the changes, the direction seems to be clear. They are more concerned with creating a positive environment and streamlined looks. Whether that is the culture users, both new and old, will want to be a part of, will remain to be seen.
Does Youtube realize that people can troll in the comment section? Seriously just because they removed a button doesn’t mean they have stopped hate and trolling as most people will use the comment section to voice their intentions/opinions regardless of a dislike button.