The Lack of Morality in Youtube’s Algorithm
Youtube is one of the biggest entertainment platforms on the Internet, where content creators can upload a vast variety of videos in order to attract their target audiences. It is undeniably an incredible and powerful force to be reckoned with in this modern age. As the Internet continues to rise, so does the watch time on Youtube, with more than one billion hours of viewership everyday, overtaking television. It is incredibly easy for a user to get sucked in and spend more time than he/she wants because of Youtube’s algorithm on recommending videos and its ability to “autoplay” videos if the user allows it. The algorithm is constantly changing and updating based on a user’s interactions with specific videos.
This goes into the discussion of the lack of morality in Youtube’s algorithm. Its main goal is to generate as much watch time and exposure as it can. Guillaume Chaslot, one of the Youtube algorithm’s creators, explains that “Youtube is something that looks like a reality, but it is distorted to make you spend more time online.” In other words, the recommended videos may not be advocating for the good of society in terms of creating a balance in the videos watched by people. Instead, Youtube’s algorithm aims to maximize the amount of time spent on its platform in order to generate greater profits. Everything is tracked on Youtube: the videos you click on, the amount of time spent on one video before clicking out, your searches, your subscriptions, etc. Everything recommended is therefore based on your preferences. This decreases the introduction of new topics/videos to users, which limits the diversity of videos watched. Chaslot was fired after trying to change the algorithm to become “more aligned with democratic values instead of being devoted to just increasing the watch time,” an attempt to make the algorithm more humane and moral.
Youtube’s algorithm relates to the concept of matching markets. Say a user enjoys watching mukbangs (eating shows), beauty videos, and fashion videos. The user therefore values these types of videos higher than other genres of videos, such as gaming videos, educational videos, comedy skits, etc. Thus, these videos will always rank higher in the eyes of the user and will always be matched to that user. Other users who enjoy other types of videos will only be matched to those types of videos, which creates a limited experience for users. Youtube’s algorithm hinders the amount of diverse matchings, and this fosters an unbalanced and unhealthy relationship between the user and Youtube.