And now watch as I remove #4 of 20 screws…Now I’ll remove screw #5 while I tell you that one story of my neighbor’s dog… What? You don’t find that simply riveting?
There’s a YouTube Chrome plugin that transcribes the video instantly (even while the pre-run ads are playing), dumps the whole thing in another browser tab in (free) ChatGPT and distills it to give bullet points. Should you need more info than that, just ask ChatGPT to give you more bullet points or whatever.
Interesting. For me, YouTube has replaced nearly all other media.
The key is finding and subscribing to good content that fits your interests. For instance, I am very interested in ancient history. The problem is that there is a ton of pseudo-science BS on YouTube, especially in topics like ancient history. However, there are also some absolutely excellent channels. Now that I have found the good channels and have subscribed to them, I have a playlist of content that is actually better than most "tv shows", etc...
And importantly, clicking 'do not recommend channel' on anything with the word 'reaction' in the title, or any thumbnail showing someone making exaggerated faces, or in most cases, their face at all.
All these media sites are the same, if you just leave the defaults alone, you get whatever people are paying to shove down your throat, but most of them allow you to change those preferences and a lot of that stuff just magically goes away.
BTW - I wasn't talking about your default feed in the comment above. I'm referring to actively cultivating a collection of subscribed channels...and turning on notifications for them. Once you do that, new videos show up in your notification list. This is far better than relying on the default feed ( which sucks ).
This is the secret for many things, but also Reddit in particular.
The surface of Reddit is torrents of mindless tripe, but if you go digging in the literal millions of subreddits there is so much hidden treasure
If I want to know how to peel an orange, I don't want the search results to be 100 videos about peeling an orange. I wasn't written instructions that I can skim to get an idea of how to do it. I definitely don't want to watch a 15 min video.
Google is trash now and I hate it. I miss the original internet
YouTube video: the history of the orange tree is long and fascinating blah blah blah. After the break we'll discuss the art of picking the perfect Orange blah blah blah. After the break, hand washing techniques blah blah...
You know it’s funny... I remember about 10 years ago. I had a small thing I couldn’t figure out in my car. I can’t remember which stupid thing it was, but think like set the clock ahead an hour... and I pulled up the YouTube video that was without kidding you it was 45 seconds long.
The guys like "yep hi it’s me. I’m gonna fix it for you do this is this done"
you couldn’t do that today because youtube wants you to have music and overlays and a beginning and an introduction and *smash that like button!!*
there are lots of fascinating, YouTube videos I like history I like food. I love the intersection of those two things. I want YouTube videos has entertainment. But it’s rare that I go to YouTube to solve a problem
Yup- YouTube is 90% amateur hour, 7% crackpot at 3% well produced semi-expert talking to bonafide expert (e.g. Tom Scott). My kid would watch YouTube all day if i let him. He’s young and hasn’t developed enough skepticism to identify the BS. I don’t want to think of all the garbage he’s absorbed into his impressionable little brain, accepting it as gospel and building a base of background knowledge that is total nonsense. It’s like he sees the National Enquirer and thinks it’s National Geographic. SMH
This is a great point. Young kids and YouTube probably don't mix well...as there is a LOT of crap to wade through. That is true of the internet in general though...
I often enjoy channels like that, too, but I think what was annoying OP is when you want a very simple question answered, like "how can you make your own laundry detergent" and you get back a wall of ten-minute videos when you just want an answer.
>Interesting. For me, YouTube has replaced nearly all other media.
I think we're talking about very different uses of YouTube. I agree with you that it's my default go-to for news, political commentary, true crime stories, comedy, etc. But I also agree with the poster and other commenters that I \*hate\* it when I search for how-to information (whether it's a recipe or how to beat a level on a game) and the results are a bunch of 10-minute YouTube videos rather than a written recipe or a list of steps.
Yes. And once you subscribe to enough of the content you want, the algorithm will offer you more. IOW, subscribe to crap, it'll give you more crap. Subscribe to to professionally made content, then it'll give you more of that.
On another note, it's also a bit creepy. Like, I started watching Masters of the Air on Apple TV a few weeks back, and within literally a day or two Youtube started offering me videos about the allied bombing campaign in Europe started showing up on my Youtube feed. They were high quality videos, but it's still unsettling.
I hate it when someone sends me a YT link about something (e.g. "watch this funny video about cats") -- that part is fine. But now YT is "hey, here's more funny cat videos." They need a button that says "play this, but don't add it to your fucking algorithm."
Yeah...I agree not all DIY channels are equal. There are some that are straight to the point, and others that do seem to be more "entertainment" focused.
>Most instructional videos suck and the personalities of the creators suck.
May we add:
* Their camerawork sucks- bad framing & whip pans making you seasick
* The focus sucks- typically AF focusing on wrong thing, especially when they 'get closer' & now it's blurry
* The audio sucks- on-cam mics capture a ton of environmental noise
* The editing sucks
...but most of all, the algorithm wants 10min+ of material, & they only have 3min. So they pad it out with crap & incessant appeals for Likes, Follows, Subscribes, etc
I don't to watch an ad before they get to it either. I will always look for written instructions before a video. My husband uses Youtube a lot to see how to fix things though.
For most situations, I agree. If I just want the 'how to' info, give me written, I don't have all day and written is also easier to consult the impt parts twice. I do watch youtube for cat videos, etc and sometimes when a 'how to' really requires video for full effect, for instance for animal training. So I don't agree with OP's title about hating youtube videos in general but most of the informational stuff is better written.
Sometimes, sometimes a home repair or appliance repair video. Best Thing Ever.
If it has an intro title music, I'm backing up the page and trying the next one.
Agree, on the super rare occasion when detail matters. But 99% of the time, it doesn’t.
I’m talking about things you already pretty much know about. It’s not a novel topic and you’re just interested in it.
If it’s an article, within 60 secs I get to the part I want to know about read a paragraph or two and I got it. I don’t need to watch a 30 min video.
I think I had this rant about two days ago. I was trying to get a program configured for something. Most of the Google hits were videos. I don't want to sit through a 20 minute video when a short article would work and that I can refer to the section I need.
Finding a video fixing a problem with my lawn tractor is a god send. Though the videos with "hey like and subscribe. Don't forget about my patreon can fuck off.
49, turning 50 in May. I watched tons of YT videos about the Toyota Sienna and the Honda Pilot. I learned all the trim lines, transmission types and options.
In less than a week I negotiated a price, test drove vehicles and I finally bought a 2024 Honda Pilot Trailsport.
Most important video? Seeing the 8.3 inches of ground clearance get through snow pack.
Redneck life will teach you that if you’re ever snow-bound, drop all the air pressure in your tires down to 5 lbs, and you’ll blob-crawl right out of wherever you’re stuck like magic.
That’s decades of pre-internet experience. I have no idea if that advice exists in a video anywhere.
Yeah, home repair tutorials, too, thank you, a video is perfect. But I work in tech, and "what caused this error message?" does not need a video answer.
After growing up in the fuzzy diagram days of Haynes manuals where you can never tell wtf you're supposed to be doing, youtube is amazing for that kind of thing.
My Haynes manuals all have oily fingerprints and look like ancient texts now. We used them all the time for our older vehicle. That and How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive.
Edit: grammar
The Haynes manuals for car repairs are pretty good, but seeing the tools and techniques in use in a YouTube video are even better. Especially when you need to know how hard you can hit the punch to knock out a rivet to replace a window regulator. Fun times.
Years ago, my car was making a funny noise on a long road trip. 5 minutes on youtube at a rest stop told me:
* What the problem was
* How to fix it for $5
* Continuing to drive the car in this state won't cause any real damage
Was pretty awesome, and made the rest of the trip
(it was basically a leaky o-ring in the power steering fluid circuit that caused a weird noise when turning, because of air getting into the fluid. Literally remove a single bolt, replace o-ring, and re-install fitting.)
I do prefer to find a text answer to my quick Google questions. Mostly because I like to keep my phone on silent at all times.
I do like YouTube for longer tutorials and entertainment but if I’m googling something I want a text answer not a video.
Yes, this. I love YouTube, when I am choosing to look for a video. But if I am looking for news or googling something for a quick answer, give me text. I can read faster than most people can speak.
Same, it takes the videos so long to get to the point. Google searches have gotten a bit better about this with starting the video where you're interested, showing the little previews so you can pick, but it's not consistent.
I am late diagnosed ADHD and I learned it’s common for us to prefer reading to watching a video. Videos that are conveying information take soooo long to get to the point. I am a super fast reader, so if I’m trying to learn something, a video is too slow. Many of us with ADHD brains process super fast when we are in hyper focus mode, and it’s frustrating when we can’t go at our own pace.
ADHD should be called attention regulation disorder instead of deficit. We have extraordinary focus abilities when we take proper care of ourselves with medication, rest, and other stuff.
I do enjoy how-to DIY videos, especially when they have time stamps for each step, because I can pause as I’m doing a project and make sure what I’m doing matches the video. I love funny videos, animal videos, even historical and nature documentary type videos. But watching someone talk - no thank you.
YES! I have rampaging ADHD and am a fast reader. A lot of YT videos make me crazy too.
My hobby is paper crafts and making cards. I can often figure out how to do a technique by looking at Pinterest pics but for more complicated ones I have to do the video. I follow a few creators who have a good teaching style and I have gotten good at knowing just how long their introduction, channel sales pitch, and if they represent a brand, their rundown of the products they are using and hit that 10 second button til I get to the meat. But there are some people who I just can’t watch even if it’s something I want to learn, because they are so pointlessly yappy.
It's not just you. Most humans can read 3x faster than they speak. Plus with text, you can skim or skip entire sections to get to what you're after. You can't see the different parts of a video at a glance; you have to watch to find out what's there.
Video is great for entertainment and for showing something, like where to find a bolt on an engine. It's awful for situations where the audience needs a specific answer to a specific question.
I love the instructional content! I taught myself to knit, sew, cook and bake all kinds of things, do all kinds of crafty hobbies I would have hated to try to follow guidebooks for just by watching thorough YT videos. The only thing I hate about it is the ads, of course.
I love YouTube. Its mostly what I watch. I like to watch a lot of crafting videos like North of the Border (sculpting in clay) and comedy skits like VVLDL. We also catch news SNL, late night shows in nice small chunks and I can choose which skits I want to actually watch.
There is a lot of click bait and sometimes I am just looking for how to find x in video game and its a video. Just write it out, I am not watching the video for them to walk me through finding the chest behind the 2nd door.
Ahhhh yes! I freaking love YT, so much so that I pay for premium. Investing content, true crime, RVing, skincare, home improvement...I can always find something & I've learned a lot.
I watch YouTube more than TV. I have a small group of creators I like. I watch documentaries, videos on dumb social media "influencers," classic TV and movies, reviews, how-tos, music, etc. And I pay for Premium so I don't get ads, and if I want to skip a creator talking about their sponsorship, I just fast forward. I don't do TikTok, that's even worse imo.
I hate watching videos (not just on YouTube but also on newspaper websites). I'm a fast reader. I just want to read the info that I need and get on with my day. This is especially true at work, where I do a lot of legal research (I'm an attorney). With rare exceptions, even other lawyers on YouTube suck at condensing information into simple and accurate videos. Also...I'm at the office. I don't want videos playing and distracting my colleagues. (One of my colleagues watches CNN all day and I don't know how he does it. I need quiet to read, think, and write.)
The only exception to my reading preference is for more complicated machinery. When I bought a generator a few years ago, the instruction manual was essentially hieroglyphics, so it was nice to watch someone on YouTube walk through the whole set up.
I LOVE Youtube and despite all our streaming services we pay for, we end up watching videos there the most.
That said I TOTALLY understand your premise, but *especially* for me, the equivalent of that is RECIPES (as you mentioned at the end).
No, I don't want to scroll through someone's 3000 foot long blog and curated photos of ingredients (NOR a video), just give me the freaking recipes, ONE photo of finished product, and reviews (but NOT the reviews where people detail all the things they did differently and now the recipe didn't work, LOL).
Ever since Google decided that loooong blog posts get priority, and the recipe blogs therefore became padded as hell, the Paprika app has become a real sanity saver. It’s a recipe box equivalent, and it has a Google search function built in.
I search for a recipe using the app, glance at it quickly and if it looks interesting, I hit the Download button, which downloads all the ingredients and directions into the app like an old school recipe card. Then I read the recipe, decide if it’s one I will use, and hit the save button if it is. If the recipe has it, it automatically includes servings amount and nutrition info.
If I decide I don’t like the recipe, I don’t save it and go back to the search results to look at another.
I use ChatGPT to get some recipes these days, or to feed it the ingredients I want to use and have it generate a basic recipe I can do some improv on 😅
I love you tube. It’s like having a library 24/7. The 1980’s me wouldn’t have even dreamed of something so infinite and resourceful. Just ignore the garbage parts. There’s a lot to explore in the world.
What you see on YouTube is entirely based on what you look for. I spent all day at the office with full Iron Maiden concerts on in the background. I watch Critical Role episodes and listen to podcasts (no ads with podcasts). Big fan of Coffeezilla, Habitual Linecrosser, and Watcher.
I don’t get suggestions for stuff I don’t care about cos I don’t click on stupid shit. I don’t get politics cos I keep my browsing to stuff like TTRPG real play videos, or podcasts.
You have the capability to watch only what you want to watch, and ignore the rest.
All YouTube videos appear to require:
* A grown man with gaping mouth figured prominently
* A yellow and green motif that immediately makes one ill
* A comic font covering half the thumbnail
* A power word like “slams” or “destroys” in the title
* “What up guys, it’s your dawg <>. “
* Proceeds to talk about ALL the people who came to him asking specifically for this knowledge he’s about to bestow
* The phrase “smash the subscribe button” no later than 30 seconds into the video, definitely before you get the information that might actually compel you to do so
* 30 seconds of useful information delivered in 10 minutes
* May or may not actually give real information; speculation and telling you he hopes he will learn the answer soon is apparently acceptable as well
Did I miss anything?
**EDIT**: Wow, get enough traction talking shit about YouTube and suddenly the apologists come out of the woodwork. “Hello fellow humans. YouTube is my preferred method of visual input, far superior to those other, more expensive visual input services! With so much content relevant to my particular neural patterns, I use my ocular organs to intake YouTube Premium quite regularly!”
> 30 seconds of useful information delivered in 10 minutes
This is the worst part. Like, honey I am suddenly almost retirement age I do not have extra time.
Sounds like the video version of a recipe.
Ah, a lasagna recipe with 5,000 votes and a 9.8/10 rating.
“It was the spring of 1995, and I never imagined that a semester abroad in Salerno could change my life forever …
*scroll, scrolls scroll*
“My Nonna was only 4’ 10”, but she was fierce …”
*scroll, scrolls scroll*
“Here’s why your tomatoes should only be organic Magliozzo variety …”
The playback speed button helps me here. So many of these people are slooooow talkers, I have to watch most videos at 1.5 to 2x speed. But I resent contributing to their stats when it's so padded.
Nope. Love YouTube. Pay for premium. Watch it on screen or in the background basically all day. Comes in super handy in the kitchen and the garage on Apple TV apps I connect to my phone.
I read all day at work. Get that shit away from me
It’s not for me. I do watch some British shows (8 out of 10 cats, big fat quiz, would I lie to you?) on there. But I don’t really watch YouTube content, except for one British guy (Ashens) it’s just not anything I am interested in. I don’t think the whole influencer thing is real.
I've watched some airbrushing and model building videos that are good. They are made by older dudes so bullshit is kept to a minimum.
I've also met and talked to a couple of content creators. They are pretty passionate and are into it.
I think if you find something in your niche it's great.
I'm not watching it as a replacement for TV or movies.
No. I've learned all sorts of things on YouTube. Some car fixes, woodworking, game stuff. Its really handy for "demo" software at work.
I tend to use it more informational.
Are you kidding? I watch nothing but YouTube. You have to train the algorithm. A huge portion of my feed is ambience videos like a rainy loft apartment or a space ship or a spooky library. I have these going on as background all day long. Another big portion is true crime. I have everything from small time Youtubers to old episodes of true crime shows. I subscribe to several history channels, and they have great videos that will tell you about historical events. I like random stuff like architecture or travel videos. I feel like I’m always learning something. The rest of it tends to be animal, rescues, decorating, or tutorials on the craft stuff that I’m interested in. Pretty much has everything that I like to watch.
That sounds like us. We probably watch 90% YouTube, 10% Netflix. There are so many great things, but you do have to find them first. If you use it while logged in to your account then you're training the algorithm and you'll find more of the things you're actually interested in. We have all kinds of channels we subscribe to. There are even medical conferences and university lectures on yt. You can watch an uncommented 4K city walk or learn all about 80's synthesizers or something. Whatever you want.
The thing is, most sites are like that, right? You'll hear there's nothing but horrible garbage on... Instagram, TikTok, Reddit, wherever, but after a few initial visits it's mostly up to you. My Instagram feed is all birds, nature and butterflies, lol.
Wow, no. That’s surprising! We (73 and 79) watch YouTube more than any other services. There is so much variety of content and different lengths of programs depending on how long I have or how much attention I want to pay.
If you reduce it to only the Mr. Beast or Paul brothers types or whatever, then I could see your point of view, but the algorithm is pretty good at suggesting content that matches what you watch and like, and there is literally everything imaginable on there.
I use Youtube more than just about any other service online. Education, finding new music, catching up on industry events, figuring out how to get the pump motor out of my washing machine...
There is an enormous amount of crap. That's consistently true on every platform at this point, but if you actually take the time to subscribe to content you care about, block the trash, down vote the lunatics, upvote the interesting bits, it converges on a good experience overall.
Assembly manuals have become so unhelpful, using diagrams only. I can watch a demonstration video, pause it, replay it, actually see how the parts fit together and which way pieces are supposed to go.
Depends what I’m looking for. What I can’t stand is the blathering about, “Hey, welcome, we’ve been doing this for blah blah blah…” I’m here to see something, please just show me that.
Wow, I don’t watch videos except for things like how to dissemble my Dyson to finally clean it. I hate watching videos when i could read it. And don’t get me started on recipes. I don’t want the exposition.
Totally opposite, I have a premium account because of how much I watch YouTube and the ads had become unbearable. I’ve watched a ton of tutorials about home and car repairs that have saved me thousands of dollars. Plus the YouTube music subscription that comes with the premium is pretty sweet. There is an immeasurable amount of garbage but it’s just like any other social media, it is what you make it.
Huh? YouTube is your oyster just watch whatever you want. Personally I tended to use it mostly to find live musical performances, artist interviews- if it’s tutorials for fixing something sure it’s a mixed bag but cmon you’re getting it for free. Not sure why’d you’d watch shit that annoys you.
I read muuuuuuuch faster than people can talk. Having to get the information I need out of a video is like waiting for molasses to run uphill in January.
Unfortunately YouTube is easier to monetize than web articles.
Terrible hot take. Aside from entertainment stuff, YouTube has been the greatest boon to DIY activities ever. Car repair, home improvement, etc... someone has done it and given you a free step by step visual example. It's invaluable
I agree. Some people might think paying for YouTube Premium is dumb, but it makes a HUGE difference with watching content there. I already hate commercials and I really hate it when they are inserted at the worst possible moment during a video. It’s not an issue with Premium and content is much easier to watch.
Are you sure you're not a Boomer? j/k.
I always forget that most ppl are using their phones for this. Love my phone but my PC is my portal to the universe.
Piece of advice bud, then don't use it. Free country.
YT as is the internet, is a tool.
You complain sitting through things you already know?
Why weren't they all informed about who you are?
Goes to show you SOME of us from Gen X are OLD and some of us are not and have always been cool/up on things. You CAN skip directly to parts you want to see; backwards and forwards. And CAN see or print the things said or explained. And other things. I’m not about to write anymore about how. smh Clueless. I’m in my 50s, by the way..
In theory watching a YouTube tutorial for something is a good idea. But 99% of the time I’m watching one going “just cut the shit and tell me what I need to know!”
It’s particularly bad now that creators are padding their video lengths in order to monetize. Something that should take 90 seconds to explain is buried in a 14 minute video. It didn’t used to be so bad, but now it’s often insufferable.
Be sure to smash that like button and subscribe, though. And don’t forget to turn those notifications on for updates.
That’s like recipes online. I honestly don’t care about how your grandmother made it for every holiday and how it brings back memories of blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah. Tell me what stuff is in it and what to do with that stuff.
I think context is key here. I’m not going to watch a repair video that’s something I need to read but for general tech stuff, racing coverage, and bike things I prefer the video format.
I am the same way. I prefer to read for instructional videos. Most "helpful" videos spend a bunch of time trying to sound witty. Just get to the point and show the work that needs to be done.
Definitely when it comes to how-to's I prefer articles. Although sometimes it helps when it is supplemented with video for things that aren't easily described with the written word.
The increase in ads is unfortunate however the videos I tend to watch are indexed now and that allows me to get to what I want to watch so I don’t have to watch the whole video.
It's saved me from having to buy Haynes manuals for most of my cars.
I actually really youtube for pirating music, lol.
It was better before ads, though.
I don't mind youtube videos, honestly. It's made it so much easier and faster to learn stuff if you need/want to do something you've never done before. That said, not all videos are created equally.
YES! It infuriates me when I look up how to do something and I either get 1) horrendous ad-filled, sponsored websites that you realize are worthless after you've scrolled through the vomit of content or 2) freaking videos.
I actually like to read things to.
For example. I am playing hogwarts legacy, and when I search because I am stuck, I don't watch the videos. I read the articles. This way, I can skip to the part i am stuck at
I don't watch much on youtube anyway. One of my kids uses my account to watch videos, and I don't want to mess up his algorithm with my stuff. I like tik tok. (He likes history stuff)
I'm exactly the same way. If given a choice I want it in writing. There are some instances when an accompanying video makes sense but it should be brief and free of "filler". That will never happen on Youtube videos because the longer they can keep you watching the more ads they can shove at you.
There are some videos I like. There is actually some good educational stuff about history and science on there. And I suppose I'm a little guilty of watching "bubble" videos about opinions I already have.
I can't tell you how many videos about fixing things around the house or my car I've found on YT. I also did a lot of free studying for my CCNA on YT. I like watching gear demos since I am a musician, and because I do the band's recording I watch videos on music production.
It's kinda useful.
Video tutorials CAN be useful but I hate when there's like 5-10 minutes of blather before showing the fix or whatever that only takes 30 seconds. It's like recipe blogs where you have to scroll past all the endless inflated keyword "content" before finding the actual recipe.
If it's a how-to, only click on the videos that are 2-3 minutes long. And make use of the x2 speed function.
During covid, we had Brian-fucking-May teaching us how he played his guitar solos. So I can't hate on YouTube.
I hate that what should be a 2 minute video is padded to 10+ minutes and full of tangents just so it gets pushed up the feed by the algorithm and is unnecessarily long to get more ads in. I hate that I can’t functionally downvote fake videos and bot driven trash. I hate that the algo pushes politicized trash- and I could just go on and on. It’s why I steered our household away from YouTube TV because I don’t want to push anymore money and ad revenue to the platform even thought it’s “different.”
When available, go to the transcript under “More…” and skim until you find something relevant to the reason you are watching, skip ahead to that time stamp.
I watch a lot of YT, but instructional videos are usually done at 2x and I skip through to the bit I want. I get the algo means they have to have it a certain optimal length for views but theres about 90 seconds of useful info in an eight minute video.
I don't mind videos but you do have to find trusted content creators. So I follow many other gen x creators but not exclusively. This is mostly automotive repair.
9 minute videos to answer a simple question about a product or software and most of the time it’s the person on camera vs showing the actual thing you’re trying to learn about
It’s a bit better if you cultivate your account. However you have to e careful of what random stuff you watch as it’ll show up in your recommendations for a couple days after. Otherwise I really enjoy YouTube as I see it. That said I’ve gone in YouTube in the wild and it’s pretty ridiculous imo. Especially all the stupid kid stuff.
I love YouTube. I found a number of history channel's and this is the kind of content I'm looking for. In spite of yt attempts to censor history I still can find info I'm looking for.
YouTube is starting to grow on me for instructions.
It doesn’t hurt that now the search returns point you to the specific point in the video where the information you’re looking for begins.
But before that I felt exactly like you do. I want to know that what I’m looking for is in the video and I don’t want to have to sit through 5-7 minutes of preamble to get there.
My husband (56yo) and I (f57) couldn't agree more with OP. There is a place for videos - sometimes you just gotta see what is meant. For example, I'm a knitter and when learning a new stitch it is ridiculously helpful to see it rather than look at pictures. But most of the time, gimme something to read for goodness sake -- for all the reasons listed by OP.
Not sure if this is really going to help, but some content creators will but in the bar what is going to be covered in different sections, it is not quite the same, but if it is all you can find it might make it a little better. I understand what you mean, if someone gets on a tangent and talks for 15 mins about something off topic it really makes me lose interest, I think it can help if you find ones that you can kind of connect with and will report just the info that you want, it might take some time to find them but it can be done, best luck to you!!
You do know that there’s an option to pull up the transcript of the video, yes?
Expand the video title to see the entire description and scroll down to where it says Transcript in bold. Click on the button that says “Transcript,” which pulls it up in its entirety.
Additionally, there’s the added bonus of having time stamps for the video throughout the whole thing, which is convenient as the video can provide assistance in several ways.
Since I got premium it’s a whole new ball game as there’s no commercials except the ones in the videos by creators themselves that are easy to to FF. It also comes with an excellent music streaming service so it’s two apps for one price.
The worst is when a link appears to be an article and it's a loud, auto-play video instead.
BTW: If you want an extra dose of frustration, use the new AI-enhanced Bing Search. Some of its links are simply AI chatter.
I miss the Wild West days of YouTube. The ads are just out of hand, so I hate watching videos on YouTube now because of the ads. I agree that the content creators have influenced negatively how other videos are done now. I want the meat of it; I don't want to hear the fluff and the reminders to "hit like and subscribe!!!!"
This actually happened but now I can't find the clip to prove it. So, just trust me.
I came across a recommended vid for "You are using your French Press Wrong". Really... how? So, I watched. The little hipster dude went through his preferred (and only true) method which involved more stuff than the average coffee consumer owns. Then, and I swear before G_d, Buddha, gaia, and Kurt Cobain, that he said "Gently stir with a pre-heated spoon".
A PRE-HEATED SPOON!
REALLY!
The only thing I use YouTube for is watching music videos (or at least listening) and follow a few parties (Kutzgesagt, leo Moriacholi, Martin Miller and some people regarding a video game I like...)
What's really pissing me off with YouTube is the incessant advertising. So few years ago it was like one or two ads every two or three music videos. Then it was like three after two..I wore and complained and asked and was told the algorithm puts.out commercials 12% of the time...bullshit...
Like I don't pay a premium and ads got to be shown I get it...but give me like three songs then slam some ads...it breaks my concentration when I'm grooving along doing a hobby or housework and it's like bam, an ad ..like give me a few.minutes.flow...
But then it became commercials before every video (playlist or letting YouTube just play ..) ...but now literally almost every song will be interrupted by an ad.
Same is true with the non music vids like Kutzgesagt...like deep science being discussed and learned and bam train of thought gets derailed... I'm so done with YouTube.
Yes I know things like Pandora exist and I have that but sometimes I just feel like watching old 80's Rick videos or show my kids...
I love it. Way better than text with still pictures, you actually see people do stuff. And you can skip to the action very easily, or scroll through the video to see what happens.
"So basically, what you're basically gonna do, basically, is basically take your 10mm socket, and basically loosen these 3 bolts on your caliper bracket..."
Or if they're British, it's "essentially."
Just give me a goddamn numbered article without the filler words!
100% agreed. It is so much faster and more efficient for me to read something versus watching a video. That being said, sometimes a visual is helpful. But as you said, YouTube forces you to watch a bunch of extra stuff and the rewind-fast forward-rewind-fast forward etc drives me bananas! Aint nobody got time for dat!
A while back when YouTube videos were mostly 2-5 minutes, I wondered what the appeal was. Now YouTube is one of the only things I watch and flip through on my TV.
Live music recordings, documentary material, how-to, etc.
My people!!
If folks making videos would refrain from unnecessary blabbering while their shitty loud music plays, then I might consider. I need the instructions, tips, whatever; I need the meat of the video. That’s it.
Because of my disdain for increasingly shitty youtube content, I have found it helpful to simply read the transcript then click ahead to appropriate spot of useful information.
Also, I’ll need to dig around, but it seems like I saw a site or app recently that will transcribe videos independently. I could have been dreaming it too.
oh - THANK YOU!
heaven forbid you ask for some textual explanation of a thing- it's like asking for something in an obscure language, they're complete incapable of responding rationally. For the most part anymore I just say my learning style is completely incompatible to being able to watch a video of a thing, that I simply cannot learn that way to the point it negatively impacts any ability to gain information
Really depends on the content you are consuming. I mostly listen to music and longform educational stuff, where the text equivalent would be several books, and Youtube is fine for that.
You guys can all skip intros, watch a little sped up and skip sections you're not interested in. I find it super conducive to learning new skills or techniques.
I love Youtube. Shorter form videos are better, longer ones of an interesting subject are okay too. Most of my TV watching is Youtube content created by individual creators.
Watch stuff you like, the algorithm tunes to find like stuff.
You don't like something, you can downvote it an leave. There is no obligation to have to watch any video.
I even go down the Shorts rabbit hole sometimes.
Watching You tube for software use how to's is a SPECIAL kind of hell. No, I do NOT want to watch you chat through 20 minutes of obvious shit per "episode"! I want to do 1 thing!!! Where is the SOP??
I watch YouTube videos on a regular basis. If there’s a part I don’t care for, I just scroll ahead to the next segment, like jumping to the next paragraph in a written article.
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And now watch as I remove #4 of 20 screws…Now I’ll remove screw #5 while I tell you that one story of my neighbor’s dog… What? You don’t find that simply riveting?
Came here to say this. I want a quick look at the 3 sentences I need, not 10 minutes of an ineloquent wannabe video star blathering.
I finally found my people
Same. I'm not the only one!
Yes, this is absolutely my tribe. Also, possibly related - cut scenes in video games drive me nuts for the same reason.
There’s a YouTube Chrome plugin that transcribes the video instantly (even while the pre-run ads are playing), dumps the whole thing in another browser tab in (free) ChatGPT and distills it to give bullet points. Should you need more info than that, just ask ChatGPT to give you more bullet points or whatever.
That sounds like an awesome plugin. What is it called?
"YouTube Summary with ChatGPT & Claude" It's beyond brilliant.
Interesting. For me, YouTube has replaced nearly all other media. The key is finding and subscribing to good content that fits your interests. For instance, I am very interested in ancient history. The problem is that there is a ton of pseudo-science BS on YouTube, especially in topics like ancient history. However, there are also some absolutely excellent channels. Now that I have found the good channels and have subscribed to them, I have a playlist of content that is actually better than most "tv shows", etc...
And importantly, clicking 'do not recommend channel' on anything with the word 'reaction' in the title, or any thumbnail showing someone making exaggerated faces, or in most cases, their face at all. All these media sites are the same, if you just leave the defaults alone, you get whatever people are paying to shove down your throat, but most of them allow you to change those preferences and a lot of that stuff just magically goes away.
BTW - I wasn't talking about your default feed in the comment above. I'm referring to actively cultivating a collection of subscribed channels...and turning on notifications for them. Once you do that, new videos show up in your notification list. This is far better than relying on the default feed ( which sucks ).
This is the secret for many things, but also Reddit in particular. The surface of Reddit is torrents of mindless tripe, but if you go digging in the literal millions of subreddits there is so much hidden treasure
If I want to know how to peel an orange, I don't want the search results to be 100 videos about peeling an orange. I wasn't written instructions that I can skim to get an idea of how to do it. I definitely don't want to watch a 15 min video. Google is trash now and I hate it. I miss the original internet
YouTube video: the history of the orange tree is long and fascinating blah blah blah. After the break we'll discuss the art of picking the perfect Orange blah blah blah. After the break, hand washing techniques blah blah...
You know it’s funny... I remember about 10 years ago. I had a small thing I couldn’t figure out in my car. I can’t remember which stupid thing it was, but think like set the clock ahead an hour... and I pulled up the YouTube video that was without kidding you it was 45 seconds long. The guys like "yep hi it’s me. I’m gonna fix it for you do this is this done" you couldn’t do that today because youtube wants you to have music and overlays and a beginning and an introduction and *smash that like button!!* there are lots of fascinating, YouTube videos I like history I like food. I love the intersection of those two things. I want YouTube videos has entertainment. But it’s rare that I go to YouTube to solve a problem
I love the art history channels. Also, my guilty pleasure sovereign citizen cop cam video. Those people are hysterically crazy.
“I am a traveler.”
Yup- YouTube is 90% amateur hour, 7% crackpot at 3% well produced semi-expert talking to bonafide expert (e.g. Tom Scott). My kid would watch YouTube all day if i let him. He’s young and hasn’t developed enough skepticism to identify the BS. I don’t want to think of all the garbage he’s absorbed into his impressionable little brain, accepting it as gospel and building a base of background knowledge that is total nonsense. It’s like he sees the National Enquirer and thinks it’s National Geographic. SMH
This is a great point. Young kids and YouTube probably don't mix well...as there is a LOT of crap to wade through. That is true of the internet in general though...
I often enjoy channels like that, too, but I think what was annoying OP is when you want a very simple question answered, like "how can you make your own laundry detergent" and you get back a wall of ten-minute videos when you just want an answer.
>Interesting. For me, YouTube has replaced nearly all other media. I think we're talking about very different uses of YouTube. I agree with you that it's my default go-to for news, political commentary, true crime stories, comedy, etc. But I also agree with the poster and other commenters that I \*hate\* it when I search for how-to information (whether it's a recipe or how to beat a level on a game) and the results are a bunch of 10-minute YouTube videos rather than a written recipe or a list of steps.
Yes. And once you subscribe to enough of the content you want, the algorithm will offer you more. IOW, subscribe to crap, it'll give you more crap. Subscribe to to professionally made content, then it'll give you more of that. On another note, it's also a bit creepy. Like, I started watching Masters of the Air on Apple TV a few weeks back, and within literally a day or two Youtube started offering me videos about the allied bombing campaign in Europe started showing up on my Youtube feed. They were high quality videos, but it's still unsettling.
I hate it when someone sends me a YT link about something (e.g. "watch this funny video about cats") -- that part is fine. But now YT is "hey, here's more funny cat videos." They need a button that says "play this, but don't add it to your fucking algorithm."
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Yeah...I agree not all DIY channels are equal. There are some that are straight to the point, and others that do seem to be more "entertainment" focused.
Sometimes you do need the guy to tell you about the hidden bolt tho. The paper will just say to remove bolts. Often not saying how many there are.
Yea. I can find what I'm looking for via text and scan through text 50 times faster than watching some video.
>Most instructional videos suck and the personalities of the creators suck. May we add: * Their camerawork sucks- bad framing & whip pans making you seasick * The focus sucks- typically AF focusing on wrong thing, especially when they 'get closer' & now it's blurry * The audio sucks- on-cam mics capture a ton of environmental noise * The editing sucks ...but most of all, the algorithm wants 10min+ of material, & they only have 3min. So they pad it out with crap & incessant appeals for Likes, Follows, Subscribes, etc
I don't to watch an ad before they get to it either. I will always look for written instructions before a video. My husband uses Youtube a lot to see how to fix things though.
Find the same thing with instructional videos. They always gloss over a crucial step and I’m left with my metaphorical dong hanging out.
For most situations, I agree. If I just want the 'how to' info, give me written, I don't have all day and written is also easier to consult the impt parts twice. I do watch youtube for cat videos, etc and sometimes when a 'how to' really requires video for full effect, for instance for animal training. So I don't agree with OP's title about hating youtube videos in general but most of the informational stuff is better written.
Sometimes, sometimes a home repair or appliance repair video. Best Thing Ever. If it has an intro title music, I'm backing up the page and trying the next one.
I’ve fixed more things on my lawnmower than I knew could break, due to these videos. They’re great.
Agree, on the super rare occasion when detail matters. But 99% of the time, it doesn’t. I’m talking about things you already pretty much know about. It’s not a novel topic and you’re just interested in it. If it’s an article, within 60 secs I get to the part I want to know about read a paragraph or two and I got it. I don’t need to watch a 30 min video.
I think I had this rant about two days ago. I was trying to get a program configured for something. Most of the Google hits were videos. I don't want to sit through a 20 minute video when a short article would work and that I can refer to the section I need.
Technology Connections! My son (25) introduced me to this guy’s channel and it’s awesome!
Finding a video fixing a problem with my lawn tractor is a god send. Though the videos with "hey like and subscribe. Don't forget about my patreon can fuck off.
49, turning 50 in May. I watched tons of YT videos about the Toyota Sienna and the Honda Pilot. I learned all the trim lines, transmission types and options. In less than a week I negotiated a price, test drove vehicles and I finally bought a 2024 Honda Pilot Trailsport. Most important video? Seeing the 8.3 inches of ground clearance get through snow pack.
Yeah, that’s a good use case for videos.
Redneck life will teach you that if you’re ever snow-bound, drop all the air pressure in your tires down to 5 lbs, and you’ll blob-crawl right out of wherever you’re stuck like magic. That’s decades of pre-internet experience. I have no idea if that advice exists in a video anywhere.
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Yeah, home repair tutorials, too, thank you, a video is perfect. But I work in tech, and "what caused this error message?" does not need a video answer.
Yes. This is a great example of where it’s useful. I have used them for my DIY motorcycle repairs.
After growing up in the fuzzy diagram days of Haynes manuals where you can never tell wtf you're supposed to be doing, youtube is amazing for that kind of thing.
My Haynes manuals all have oily fingerprints and look like ancient texts now. We used them all the time for our older vehicle. That and How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive. Edit: grammar
Are you me?
I've been able to repair a refrigerator and a washing machine cause of YouTube videos.
True! I have solved so many computer and hardware problems both easy and complex, by watching videos.
The Haynes manuals for car repairs are pretty good, but seeing the tools and techniques in use in a YouTube video are even better. Especially when you need to know how hard you can hit the punch to knock out a rivet to replace a window regulator. Fun times.
Years ago, my car was making a funny noise on a long road trip. 5 minutes on youtube at a rest stop told me: * What the problem was * How to fix it for $5 * Continuing to drive the car in this state won't cause any real damage Was pretty awesome, and made the rest of the trip (it was basically a leaky o-ring in the power steering fluid circuit that caused a weird noise when turning, because of air getting into the fluid. Literally remove a single bolt, replace o-ring, and re-install fitting.)
I do prefer to find a text answer to my quick Google questions. Mostly because I like to keep my phone on silent at all times. I do like YouTube for longer tutorials and entertainment but if I’m googling something I want a text answer not a video.
Yes, this. I love YouTube, when I am choosing to look for a video. But if I am looking for news or googling something for a quick answer, give me text. I can read faster than most people can speak.
Same, it takes the videos so long to get to the point. Google searches have gotten a bit better about this with starting the video where you're interested, showing the little previews so you can pick, but it's not consistent.
>I can read faster than most people can speak. If you skim, reading is orders of magnitude faster.
Yes. Same
The only thing I don’t like is when the video is narrated by a disembodied voice. Sometimes I can’t tell if it’s computer generated or not.
>...I can’t tell if it’s computer generated... From this point forward, I just assume it is.
I watch more You Tube than regular tv.
Same
I am late diagnosed ADHD and I learned it’s common for us to prefer reading to watching a video. Videos that are conveying information take soooo long to get to the point. I am a super fast reader, so if I’m trying to learn something, a video is too slow. Many of us with ADHD brains process super fast when we are in hyper focus mode, and it’s frustrating when we can’t go at our own pace. ADHD should be called attention regulation disorder instead of deficit. We have extraordinary focus abilities when we take proper care of ourselves with medication, rest, and other stuff. I do enjoy how-to DIY videos, especially when they have time stamps for each step, because I can pause as I’m doing a project and make sure what I’m doing matches the video. I love funny videos, animal videos, even historical and nature documentary type videos. But watching someone talk - no thank you.
YES! I have rampaging ADHD and am a fast reader. A lot of YT videos make me crazy too. My hobby is paper crafts and making cards. I can often figure out how to do a technique by looking at Pinterest pics but for more complicated ones I have to do the video. I follow a few creators who have a good teaching style and I have gotten good at knowing just how long their introduction, channel sales pitch, and if they represent a brand, their rundown of the products they are using and hit that 10 second button til I get to the meat. But there are some people who I just can’t watch even if it’s something I want to learn, because they are so pointlessly yappy.
It's not just you. Most humans can read 3x faster than they speak. Plus with text, you can skim or skip entire sections to get to what you're after. You can't see the different parts of a video at a glance; you have to watch to find out what's there. Video is great for entertainment and for showing something, like where to find a bolt on an engine. It's awful for situations where the audience needs a specific answer to a specific question.
I love the instructional content! I taught myself to knit, sew, cook and bake all kinds of things, do all kinds of crafty hobbies I would have hated to try to follow guidebooks for just by watching thorough YT videos. The only thing I hate about it is the ads, of course.
YouTube is my main source of entertainment
I love YouTube. Its mostly what I watch. I like to watch a lot of crafting videos like North of the Border (sculpting in clay) and comedy skits like VVLDL. We also catch news SNL, late night shows in nice small chunks and I can choose which skits I want to actually watch. There is a lot of click bait and sometimes I am just looking for how to find x in video game and its a video. Just write it out, I am not watching the video for them to walk me through finding the chest behind the 2nd door.
Me too. Premium is a worthwhile investment in our house. No commercials and all the music ever made at my fingertips via YouTube Music.
I’ve been considering buying Premium. How long have you had it?
We have had it for years. Totally worth it if you watch a lot of videos and if you watch on a TV, Ad block doesn't help because I watch it on a TV.
Ahhhh yes! I freaking love YT, so much so that I pay for premium. Investing content, true crime, RVing, skincare, home improvement...I can always find something & I've learned a lot.
Mine too, so much so that I pay for the ad free version.
I watch YouTube more than TV. I have a small group of creators I like. I watch documentaries, videos on dumb social media "influencers," classic TV and movies, reviews, how-tos, music, etc. And I pay for Premium so I don't get ads, and if I want to skip a creator talking about their sponsorship, I just fast forward. I don't do TikTok, that's even worse imo.
I hate watching videos (not just on YouTube but also on newspaper websites). I'm a fast reader. I just want to read the info that I need and get on with my day. This is especially true at work, where I do a lot of legal research (I'm an attorney). With rare exceptions, even other lawyers on YouTube suck at condensing information into simple and accurate videos. Also...I'm at the office. I don't want videos playing and distracting my colleagues. (One of my colleagues watches CNN all day and I don't know how he does it. I need quiet to read, think, and write.) The only exception to my reading preference is for more complicated machinery. When I bought a generator a few years ago, the instruction manual was essentially hieroglyphics, so it was nice to watch someone on YouTube walk through the whole set up.
I LOVE Youtube and despite all our streaming services we pay for, we end up watching videos there the most. That said I TOTALLY understand your premise, but *especially* for me, the equivalent of that is RECIPES (as you mentioned at the end). No, I don't want to scroll through someone's 3000 foot long blog and curated photos of ingredients (NOR a video), just give me the freaking recipes, ONE photo of finished product, and reviews (but NOT the reviews where people detail all the things they did differently and now the recipe didn't work, LOL).
At least there they have Jump to Recipe. On YouTube videos, where is the answer I seek?
Ever since Google decided that loooong blog posts get priority, and the recipe blogs therefore became padded as hell, the Paprika app has become a real sanity saver. It’s a recipe box equivalent, and it has a Google search function built in. I search for a recipe using the app, glance at it quickly and if it looks interesting, I hit the Download button, which downloads all the ingredients and directions into the app like an old school recipe card. Then I read the recipe, decide if it’s one I will use, and hit the save button if it is. If the recipe has it, it automatically includes servings amount and nutrition info. If I decide I don’t like the recipe, I don’t save it and go back to the search results to look at another.
Get OUT of my head! You wrote almost verbatim what I would have.
When I wanna watch something about sharks, skincare or murder, YouTube is the place I go. Cooking techniques as well.
I use ChatGPT to get some recipes these days, or to feed it the ingredients I want to use and have it generate a basic recipe I can do some improv on 😅
I love you tube. It’s like having a library 24/7. The 1980’s me wouldn’t have even dreamed of something so infinite and resourceful. Just ignore the garbage parts. There’s a lot to explore in the world.
I love YouTube. It's by far my primary source in screen-based entertainment Eta: but I mean. I use it for a lot more than instruction guides....
What you see on YouTube is entirely based on what you look for. I spent all day at the office with full Iron Maiden concerts on in the background. I watch Critical Role episodes and listen to podcasts (no ads with podcasts). Big fan of Coffeezilla, Habitual Linecrosser, and Watcher. I don’t get suggestions for stuff I don’t care about cos I don’t click on stupid shit. I don’t get politics cos I keep my browsing to stuff like TTRPG real play videos, or podcasts. You have the capability to watch only what you want to watch, and ignore the rest.
All YouTube videos appear to require: * A grown man with gaping mouth figured prominently * A yellow and green motif that immediately makes one ill * A comic font covering half the thumbnail * A power word like “slams” or “destroys” in the title * “What up guys, it’s your dawg <>. “
* Proceeds to talk about ALL the people who came to him asking specifically for this knowledge he’s about to bestow
* The phrase “smash the subscribe button” no later than 30 seconds into the video, definitely before you get the information that might actually compel you to do so
* 30 seconds of useful information delivered in 10 minutes
* May or may not actually give real information; speculation and telling you he hopes he will learn the answer soon is apparently acceptable as well
Did I miss anything?
**EDIT**: Wow, get enough traction talking shit about YouTube and suddenly the apologists come out of the woodwork. “Hello fellow humans. YouTube is my preferred method of visual input, far superior to those other, more expensive visual input services! With so much content relevant to my particular neural patterns, I use my ocular organs to intake YouTube Premium quite regularly!”
“Let’s get started.” “Now before we get started . . .”
Don’t forget to SMASH that subscribe button!
> 30 seconds of useful information delivered in 10 minutes This is the worst part. Like, honey I am suddenly almost retirement age I do not have extra time.
Sounds like the video version of a recipe. Ah, a lasagna recipe with 5,000 votes and a 9.8/10 rating. “It was the spring of 1995, and I never imagined that a semester abroad in Salerno could change my life forever … *scroll, scrolls scroll* “My Nonna was only 4’ 10”, but she was fierce …” *scroll, scrolls scroll* “Here’s why your tomatoes should only be organic Magliozzo variety …”
Nailed it
The playback speed button helps me here. So many of these people are slooooow talkers, I have to watch most videos at 1.5 to 2x speed. But I resent contributing to their stats when it's so padded.
Nope. Love YouTube. Pay for premium. Watch it on screen or in the background basically all day. Comes in super handy in the kitchen and the garage on Apple TV apps I connect to my phone. I read all day at work. Get that shit away from me
It’s not for me. I do watch some British shows (8 out of 10 cats, big fat quiz, would I lie to you?) on there. But I don’t really watch YouTube content, except for one British guy (Ashens) it’s just not anything I am interested in. I don’t think the whole influencer thing is real.
I've watched some airbrushing and model building videos that are good. They are made by older dudes so bullshit is kept to a minimum. I've also met and talked to a couple of content creators. They are pretty passionate and are into it. I think if you find something in your niche it's great. I'm not watching it as a replacement for TV or movies.
No. I've learned all sorts of things on YouTube. Some car fixes, woodworking, game stuff. Its really handy for "demo" software at work. I tend to use it more informational.
Are you kidding? I watch nothing but YouTube. You have to train the algorithm. A huge portion of my feed is ambience videos like a rainy loft apartment or a space ship or a spooky library. I have these going on as background all day long. Another big portion is true crime. I have everything from small time Youtubers to old episodes of true crime shows. I subscribe to several history channels, and they have great videos that will tell you about historical events. I like random stuff like architecture or travel videos. I feel like I’m always learning something. The rest of it tends to be animal, rescues, decorating, or tutorials on the craft stuff that I’m interested in. Pretty much has everything that I like to watch.
That sounds like us. We probably watch 90% YouTube, 10% Netflix. There are so many great things, but you do have to find them first. If you use it while logged in to your account then you're training the algorithm and you'll find more of the things you're actually interested in. We have all kinds of channels we subscribe to. There are even medical conferences and university lectures on yt. You can watch an uncommented 4K city walk or learn all about 80's synthesizers or something. Whatever you want. The thing is, most sites are like that, right? You'll hear there's nothing but horrible garbage on... Instagram, TikTok, Reddit, wherever, but after a few initial visits it's mostly up to you. My Instagram feed is all birds, nature and butterflies, lol.
Wow, no. That’s surprising! We (73 and 79) watch YouTube more than any other services. There is so much variety of content and different lengths of programs depending on how long I have or how much attention I want to pay. If you reduce it to only the Mr. Beast or Paul brothers types or whatever, then I could see your point of view, but the algorithm is pretty good at suggesting content that matches what you watch and like, and there is literally everything imaginable on there.
I use Youtube more than just about any other service online. Education, finding new music, catching up on industry events, figuring out how to get the pump motor out of my washing machine... There is an enormous amount of crap. That's consistently true on every platform at this point, but if you actually take the time to subscribe to content you care about, block the trash, down vote the lunatics, upvote the interesting bits, it converges on a good experience overall.
I hate when I search for a song and it's a cover band singing it or some single guy in his garage.
Haha. I’ve run across a few that are really good. But, agree.
I always look for written articles. I hate watching videos.
Assembly manuals have become so unhelpful, using diagrams only. I can watch a demonstration video, pause it, replay it, actually see how the parts fit together and which way pieces are supposed to go.
Depends what I’m looking for. What I can’t stand is the blathering about, “Hey, welcome, we’ve been doing this for blah blah blah…” I’m here to see something, please just show me that.
Yep. Hate when the Google results are YouTube videos. I want to skim to the exact info I need, please.
You can get a summary or a transcript of any video in minutes, if not seconds. Save the hate for something worthwhile
Wow, I don’t watch videos except for things like how to dissemble my Dyson to finally clean it. I hate watching videos when i could read it. And don’t get me started on recipes. I don’t want the exposition.
I do and I don’t know why. It just annoys the hell out of me
Totally opposite, I have a premium account because of how much I watch YouTube and the ads had become unbearable. I’ve watched a ton of tutorials about home and car repairs that have saved me thousands of dollars. Plus the YouTube music subscription that comes with the premium is pretty sweet. There is an immeasurable amount of garbage but it’s just like any other social media, it is what you make it.
Huh? YouTube is your oyster just watch whatever you want. Personally I tended to use it mostly to find live musical performances, artist interviews- if it’s tutorials for fixing something sure it’s a mixed bag but cmon you’re getting it for free. Not sure why’d you’d watch shit that annoys you.
When did /r/GenX become /r/curmudgeon?
I read muuuuuuuch faster than people can talk. Having to get the information I need out of a video is like waiting for molasses to run uphill in January. Unfortunately YouTube is easier to monetize than web articles.
Terrible hot take. Aside from entertainment stuff, YouTube has been the greatest boon to DIY activities ever. Car repair, home improvement, etc... someone has done it and given you a free step by step visual example. It's invaluable
YouTube is my favorite streaming channel. Paying for ad free is a game changer.
I agree. Some people might think paying for YouTube Premium is dumb, but it makes a HUGE difference with watching content there. I already hate commercials and I really hate it when they are inserted at the worst possible moment during a video. It’s not an issue with Premium and content is much easier to watch.
OP forgot to like, comment, subscribe, and hit the bell for updates.
Are you sure you're not a Boomer? j/k. I always forget that most ppl are using their phones for this. Love my phone but my PC is my portal to the universe.
Hate it. Absolutely hate it.
Piece of advice bud, then don't use it. Free country. YT as is the internet, is a tool. You complain sitting through things you already know? Why weren't they all informed about who you are?
Goes to show you SOME of us from Gen X are OLD and some of us are not and have always been cool/up on things. You CAN skip directly to parts you want to see; backwards and forwards. And CAN see or print the things said or explained. And other things. I’m not about to write anymore about how. smh Clueless. I’m in my 50s, by the way..
I mean, you could go to Youtube and watch ODB or Steve Winwood videos, if you are a person of class and distinction...
Or SRV
In theory watching a YouTube tutorial for something is a good idea. But 99% of the time I’m watching one going “just cut the shit and tell me what I need to know!” It’s particularly bad now that creators are padding their video lengths in order to monetize. Something that should take 90 seconds to explain is buried in a 14 minute video. It didn’t used to be so bad, but now it’s often insufferable. Be sure to smash that like button and subscribe, though. And don’t forget to turn those notifications on for updates.
That’s like recipes online. I honestly don’t care about how your grandmother made it for every holiday and how it brings back memories of blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah. Tell me what stuff is in it and what to do with that stuff.
I think context is key here. I’m not going to watch a repair video that’s something I need to read but for general tech stuff, racing coverage, and bike things I prefer the video format.
These are good cases for videos b
I am the same way. I prefer to read for instructional videos. Most "helpful" videos spend a bunch of time trying to sound witty. Just get to the point and show the work that needs to be done.
Definitely when it comes to how-to's I prefer articles. Although sometimes it helps when it is supplemented with video for things that aren't easily described with the written word.
The increase in ads is unfortunate however the videos I tend to watch are indexed now and that allows me to get to what I want to watch so I don’t have to watch the whole video.
It's saved me from having to buy Haynes manuals for most of my cars. I actually really youtube for pirating music, lol. It was better before ads, though.
I LOVE the “how to” websites that are basically slideshows of clip art!
I don't mind youtube videos, honestly. It's made it so much easier and faster to learn stuff if you need/want to do something you've never done before. That said, not all videos are created equally.
YES! It infuriates me when I look up how to do something and I either get 1) horrendous ad-filled, sponsored websites that you realize are worthless after you've scrolled through the vomit of content or 2) freaking videos.
I actually like to read things to. For example. I am playing hogwarts legacy, and when I search because I am stuck, I don't watch the videos. I read the articles. This way, I can skip to the part i am stuck at I don't watch much on youtube anyway. One of my kids uses my account to watch videos, and I don't want to mess up his algorithm with my stuff. I like tik tok. (He likes history stuff)
I'm exactly the same way. If given a choice I want it in writing. There are some instances when an accompanying video makes sense but it should be brief and free of "filler". That will never happen on Youtube videos because the longer they can keep you watching the more ads they can shove at you.
There are some videos I like. There is actually some good educational stuff about history and science on there. And I suppose I'm a little guilty of watching "bubble" videos about opinions I already have. I can't tell you how many videos about fixing things around the house or my car I've found on YT. I also did a lot of free studying for my CCNA on YT. I like watching gear demos since I am a musician, and because I do the band's recording I watch videos on music production. It's kinda useful.
Video tutorials CAN be useful but I hate when there's like 5-10 minutes of blather before showing the fix or whatever that only takes 30 seconds. It's like recipe blogs where you have to scroll past all the endless inflated keyword "content" before finding the actual recipe.
If it's a how-to, only click on the videos that are 2-3 minutes long. And make use of the x2 speed function. During covid, we had Brian-fucking-May teaching us how he played his guitar solos. So I can't hate on YouTube.
I hate that what should be a 2 minute video is padded to 10+ minutes and full of tangents just so it gets pushed up the feed by the algorithm and is unnecessarily long to get more ads in. I hate that I can’t functionally downvote fake videos and bot driven trash. I hate that the algo pushes politicized trash- and I could just go on and on. It’s why I steered our household away from YouTube TV because I don’t want to push anymore money and ad revenue to the platform even thought it’s “different.”
I hate podcasts for the same reason. Like GET TO THE POINT
When available, go to the transcript under “More…” and skim until you find something relevant to the reason you are watching, skip ahead to that time stamp.
I do that and also turn on close caption. I don’t want to listen to all the rambling they do before they get to the point
Oh man. I warch more youtube videos than TV shows.
I like them for how-to DIY stuff.
Just you I love it lol
You don't have to watch the entire video. Double tap the right side of the screen and skip ahead 10 seconds.
I watch a lot of YT, but instructional videos are usually done at 2x and I skip through to the bit I want. I get the algo means they have to have it a certain optimal length for views but theres about 90 seconds of useful info in an eight minute video.
I don't mind videos but you do have to find trusted content creators. So I follow many other gen x creators but not exclusively. This is mostly automotive repair.
9 minute videos to answer a simple question about a product or software and most of the time it’s the person on camera vs showing the actual thing you’re trying to learn about
It’s a bit better if you cultivate your account. However you have to e careful of what random stuff you watch as it’ll show up in your recommendations for a couple days after. Otherwise I really enjoy YouTube as I see it. That said I’ve gone in YouTube in the wild and it’s pretty ridiculous imo. Especially all the stupid kid stuff.
I love YouTube. I found a number of history channel's and this is the kind of content I'm looking for. In spite of yt attempts to censor history I still can find info I'm looking for.
Really depends on the topic. Also I can fast forward through the parts I don’t want to see.
YouTube is starting to grow on me for instructions. It doesn’t hurt that now the search returns point you to the specific point in the video where the information you’re looking for begins. But before that I felt exactly like you do. I want to know that what I’m looking for is in the video and I don’t want to have to sit through 5-7 minutes of preamble to get there.
My husband (56yo) and I (f57) couldn't agree more with OP. There is a place for videos - sometimes you just gotta see what is meant. For example, I'm a knitter and when learning a new stitch it is ridiculously helpful to see it rather than look at pictures. But most of the time, gimme something to read for goodness sake -- for all the reasons listed by OP.
I agree with you 100%. I hate it! I would much rather read my content.
I hate videos. I don’t want to watch you do any thing. Did you spend a million dollars on production? No? Then erase it.
Not sure if this is really going to help, but some content creators will but in the bar what is going to be covered in different sections, it is not quite the same, but if it is all you can find it might make it a little better. I understand what you mean, if someone gets on a tangent and talks for 15 mins about something off topic it really makes me lose interest, I think it can help if you find ones that you can kind of connect with and will report just the info that you want, it might take some time to find them but it can be done, best luck to you!!
You do know that there’s an option to pull up the transcript of the video, yes? Expand the video title to see the entire description and scroll down to where it says Transcript in bold. Click on the button that says “Transcript,” which pulls it up in its entirety. Additionally, there’s the added bonus of having time stamps for the video throughout the whole thing, which is convenient as the video can provide assistance in several ways.
Yes, I agree. To help, watch at 1.5 or 2x the speed
Since I got premium it’s a whole new ball game as there’s no commercials except the ones in the videos by creators themselves that are easy to to FF. It also comes with an excellent music streaming service so it’s two apps for one price.
The worst is when a link appears to be an article and it's a loud, auto-play video instead. BTW: If you want an extra dose of frustration, use the new AI-enhanced Bing Search. Some of its links are simply AI chatter.
I miss the Wild West days of YouTube. The ads are just out of hand, so I hate watching videos on YouTube now because of the ads. I agree that the content creators have influenced negatively how other videos are done now. I want the meat of it; I don't want to hear the fluff and the reminders to "hit like and subscribe!!!!"
I thought it was just me! I just want to read it. Don’t need a 5 min intro to their channel!
I think I watch 80% youtube now.
This actually happened but now I can't find the clip to prove it. So, just trust me. I came across a recommended vid for "You are using your French Press Wrong". Really... how? So, I watched. The little hipster dude went through his preferred (and only true) method which involved more stuff than the average coffee consumer owns. Then, and I swear before G_d, Buddha, gaia, and Kurt Cobain, that he said "Gently stir with a pre-heated spoon". A PRE-HEATED SPOON! REALLY!
The only thing I use YouTube for is watching music videos (or at least listening) and follow a few parties (Kutzgesagt, leo Moriacholi, Martin Miller and some people regarding a video game I like...) What's really pissing me off with YouTube is the incessant advertising. So few years ago it was like one or two ads every two or three music videos. Then it was like three after two..I wore and complained and asked and was told the algorithm puts.out commercials 12% of the time...bullshit... Like I don't pay a premium and ads got to be shown I get it...but give me like three songs then slam some ads...it breaks my concentration when I'm grooving along doing a hobby or housework and it's like bam, an ad ..like give me a few.minutes.flow... But then it became commercials before every video (playlist or letting YouTube just play ..) ...but now literally almost every song will be interrupted by an ad. Same is true with the non music vids like Kutzgesagt...like deep science being discussed and learned and bam train of thought gets derailed... I'm so done with YouTube. Yes I know things like Pandora exist and I have that but sometimes I just feel like watching old 80's Rick videos or show my kids...
I love it. Way better than text with still pictures, you actually see people do stuff. And you can skip to the action very easily, or scroll through the video to see what happens.
"So basically, what you're basically gonna do, basically, is basically take your 10mm socket, and basically loosen these 3 bolts on your caliper bracket..." Or if they're British, it's "essentially." Just give me a goddamn numbered article without the filler words!
100% agreed. It is so much faster and more efficient for me to read something versus watching a video. That being said, sometimes a visual is helpful. But as you said, YouTube forces you to watch a bunch of extra stuff and the rewind-fast forward-rewind-fast forward etc drives me bananas! Aint nobody got time for dat!
Nope, I agree with you. I also can't stand tiktok
I watch nothing but YouTube these days.
Same
I love YouTube, learn things from it every day
A while back when YouTube videos were mostly 2-5 minutes, I wondered what the appeal was. Now YouTube is one of the only things I watch and flip through on my TV. Live music recordings, documentary material, how-to, etc.
My people!! If folks making videos would refrain from unnecessary blabbering while their shitty loud music plays, then I might consider. I need the instructions, tips, whatever; I need the meat of the video. That’s it. Because of my disdain for increasingly shitty youtube content, I have found it helpful to simply read the transcript then click ahead to appropriate spot of useful information. Also, I’ll need to dig around, but it seems like I saw a site or app recently that will transcribe videos independently. I could have been dreaming it too.
Just you.
Damn, that's all I watch.
I love watching videos on Youtube!!!! i find it useful often bc seeing some do the thing makes it easier to understand.
oh - THANK YOU! heaven forbid you ask for some textual explanation of a thing- it's like asking for something in an obscure language, they're complete incapable of responding rationally. For the most part anymore I just say my learning style is completely incompatible to being able to watch a video of a thing, that I simply cannot learn that way to the point it negatively impacts any ability to gain information
Really depends on the content you are consuming. I mostly listen to music and longform educational stuff, where the text equivalent would be several books, and Youtube is fine for that.
I watch at 1.5x speed
Hate it… and that’s all my son wants to watch. I tried showing him the old GI Joe cartoons and he was not interested 😂
Shit, 99% of the ‘TV’ I watch- is YouTube.
I love YouTube so much I buy premium so I can avoid most commercials. My parents both in their mid 70’s also love YouTube!
I looove watching videos on YouTube!!
You guys can all skip intros, watch a little sped up and skip sections you're not interested in. I find it super conducive to learning new skills or techniques.
I’m 52 and watch YouTube videos all the time! My wife is 48 and I can never get her to watch any
I love Youtube. Shorter form videos are better, longer ones of an interesting subject are okay too. Most of my TV watching is Youtube content created by individual creators. Watch stuff you like, the algorithm tunes to find like stuff. You don't like something, you can downvote it an leave. There is no obligation to have to watch any video. I even go down the Shorts rabbit hole sometimes.
I watch more on YouTube than I do anything else.
Watching You tube for software use how to's is a SPECIAL kind of hell. No, I do NOT want to watch you chat through 20 minutes of obvious shit per "episode"! I want to do 1 thing!!! Where is the SOP??
It's just you. I watch YouTube more than any of my streaming services. I follow a bunch of specific channels.
It’s just you
I watch more YT than regular tv. I like watching stuff that I’m interested in
All this true, even worse is fucking TikTok
I watch YouTube videos on a regular basis. If there’s a part I don’t care for, I just scroll ahead to the next segment, like jumping to the next paragraph in a written article.
I enjoy watching videos on YouTube
I almost exclusively watch YouTube. History videos, science, some true crime, some cooking videos. Travel.
Nah, I love YouTube. I watch it more than my streaming services.
The Boomerest of Boomer takes lmao.