OPINION: If you can believe it, YouTube, the central hub for content creators worldwide, has now been around for 20 years, and it’s made me realise just how essential it is to how I interact with the internet at large.
If there was one piece of news this week that made me feel old the second I heard it, it was that YouTube had finally hit the grand old age of 20. At this point, I don’t think there’s anyone who could dispute the fact that YouTube has easily been one of the biggest success stories of the 21st century.
Originally put together by just three people, Steve Chen, Chad Hurley and Jawed Karim, all of whom originally worked together at Paypal, the platform was very smartly scooped up by Google in 2006, and in the time since it has launched the careers of countless content creators, some of whom have also gone on to write best selling novels (John and Hank Green), direct award winning films (Bo Burnham) and even win several Grammys (Justin Bieber).
Beyond the stars it has brought to the fold, I think the most interesting thing about YouTube are the personal connections we’ve developed with the website and how we’ve come to use it. Speaking for myself, YouTube has almost served as a mirror to reflect my changing interests in the last 20 years.
A source of inspiration (but mostly procrastination)
When YouTube first properly hit the scene, I, just like lots of people, was enamoured with the idea that anyone, with just the right amount of charisma and determination, could build a following.
In fact, I tried to do exactly that at the age of 15 with a handful of gaming reviews that have since been deleted and will never see the light of day ever again.
It didn’t take long before I realised that it was far more fun just to watch people play games, which is exactly why I ended up spending countless hours watching PewDiePie at university when I should have been studying.
Eventually, I did away with gaming channels and, in accordance with an American politics class that I was taking at the time, started to dive into the independent news organisations that really took hold on YouTube in the 2010s.
These channels have spawned entire political movements and have been great for highlighting important issues that might get passed over by more established outlets. But even with the great work afoot, there’s only so much political news I can absorb in the modern age before I want to shut my laptop down and go roll around on the grass, so it doesn’t feature too much in my current rotation.
Where is YouTube today?
In 2025, YouTube feels more eclectic than ever. Head on over to the ‘Trending’ page and you’ll see blockbuster trailers competing with Roblox gameplay, old school vlogs and eating challenges. It’s pure chaos, and that’s before even mentioning YouTube shorts.
There’s definitely a cynical side to YouTube’s bite-sized ‘Shorts’ platform in its blatant attempt not to lose ground TikTok and Instagram, but it has been fascinating to see content creators adapt and put out new types of videos that better suit the faster format.
If you can look past the noise, I think that the best thing about YouTube is that it provides a platform for more niche topics that would never appear on terrestrial TV or even streaming services. Whether that be a breakdown on the negative impacts of American roads to a four-hour deep dive into plagiarism amongst creators, YouTube is the perfect fit for this type of content, and it’s exactly why I could never give it up.
So long as YouTube provides a chance for these videos to reach a relevant and engaged audience, it isn’t hard to imagine it surviving another 20 years with even more success stories under its belt.
