More than 15 years ago, I started watching YouTube regularly. It quickly changed the kind of entertainment I consumed. YouTube felt different — more authentic, more novel, more real.

I remember stumbling across a guy who called himself Durianrider. He might have been the first YouTuber I ever subscribed to. His videos are funny, direct, and thought-provoking.

Soon after, I discovered other interesting creators talking about fitness, nutrition, making money, crypto, politics, and philosophy. Some of their videos genuinely changed the way I thought about life — and even influenced my behavior. The dynamic was great. YouTube felt like a real connection with someone. Some YouTubers made me change careers, helped me make money, improved my health. One YouTuber even made me pick up a Bible and read it for the first time in my life.

Today, YouTube feels different.

There are still real people, authentic videos, and thought-provoking ideas on the platform. But over time, shaped by corporate decisions and executives like Wojcicki, the algorithm has been adjusted in a way that no longer naturally leads you to creators you might genuinely connect with. Instead, it directs you toward corporate-style content to sell you stuff that you don’t need.

Instead of creators simply showcasing themselves, YouTube now pushes content designed to connect viewers to corporations and products — much like TV did in the ’90s, just on demand.

Whenever I discover a new channel, I like to check the creator’s oldest videos. The truly authentic channels often have early uploads that are completely unrelated to their current videos: Someone talking about crypto today might have posted a video about cooking ramen noodles ten years ago. A fitness channel might include random travel vlogs from Bangkok. Those channels still feel real. They still feel human. They still feel like they’re about the YOU.

But many newer channels seem hyper-focused on a single niche from day one. Not because that’s who the creator is — but because they see YouTube as a branding tool. And brands perform best when positioned in a tightly defined niche.

It’s sad to see what YouTube has become — a platform that once felt like it belonged to all of us. It was an entertainment space built by people, for people. And now, increasingly, it’s just optimized TV for corporations and consumers.