I wonder what inspired Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim to conceive the idea of launching an online video-sharing platform for the world. Perhaps the desire to innovate and create something different sparked their brilliant minds to design social media platforms that would resonate globally. Rapidly, this platform has become one of the largest social media platforms worldwide, with millions of users leveraging its benefits.
Although I’m not privy to the extent of their wealth accumulated from designing such a remarkable social media platform, I can assure you that in India, people are generating substantial income by utilizing this platform.
I remember when I was in sixth grade and had the opportunity to visit Doordarshan in Kolkata to witness a live recording of a program. Even at a young age, I could sense the complexities and technical challenges involved, from shooting the show to airing it. I observed the many people engaged behind the cameras. It was apparent how difficult it was to air a show at that time and how prestigious it was for someone to be featured on television. As time passed, the pace of inventions continued, and finally, in 2005, the world received one of the most beloved social platforms, “YouTube.” In the early days, this platform was primarily used for entertainment purposes. However, over time, it has evolved into the largest social platform, where billions of users upload videos and share knowledge covering a wide array of topics, including entertainment, music, education, tutorials, news, cooking recipes, and more within the YouTube community. We have witnessed how early adopters have benefited from this platform. Nowadays, many users in India are earning substantial income from this platform, inspiring others to follow in their footsteps. Needless to say, in the current scenario, YouTube has emerged as a great resource for many needy Indians seeking to generate income.
A couple of months after officially launching YouTube in 2007, the term ‘YouTuber’ was coined by users who recognized the earning potential of the platform from its inception. Undoubtedly, it wouldn’t have been easy for them to become full-time YouTubers in those days, but as the saying goes, you can’t reap the benefits without taking risks. I’ve heard about the challenges they faced in sustaining their careers as YouTubers. After completing their academic qualifications, it was difficult for them to make society understand their chosen profession. However, these early YouTubers now dominate the platform. They’ve brought pride to the term ‘YouTuber’ within society and serve as torchbearers for others.
Observing their significant growth on the platform, millions of users have ventured into YouTube to try their luck. What’s interesting about this business is that anyone, regardless of their financial status, can give it a shot, whether they’re a mason working in construction or a film star. While their reasons may differ, the opportunity and earning potential are the same for all.
Within a couple of years, the Indian masses also came to understand the power of this platform. According to the statistics report from the STATISTA website, as of January 2024, there are 2491 million users worldwide on YouTube, encompassing all age groups. This indicates the vast reach of this platform. It’s remarkable to see how significant YouTube has become in less than two decades.
The benefits derived from YouTube span across a wide range of topics worldwide. However, I’d like to focus on the benefits I’ve witnessed in India since its inception. This was a time when the telecom industry was undergoing a revolution, paving the way for a flourishing mobile industry. I recall reading an article in 2007 that discussed the development of a mobile phone capable of streaming movies, booking railway and flight tickets, and facilitating face-to-face video calls. Although YouTube had been introduced, it hadn’t yet gained widespread popularity among the public.
With the advent of smartphones, YouTube’s popularity soared. As competition among mobile phone companies intensified, smartphone buyers reaped the benefits. Over time, smartphones became more affordable across all demographics, from students to retirees. This technological advancement enabled YouTube users in India, regardless of age, to utilize the platform to meet their needs. Some users turned to tutorial channels, learning various topics independently, while others shared their knowledge and skills through their videos on the platform. Entertainment ranked as the most searched topic among Indian YouTube users. With YouTube’s vast library, people abandoned the practice of downloading movies and other entertainment content onto external hard drives. Instead, they found it more convenient to access their favorite movies, songs, or scenes directly on YouTube at their leisure. Everything became readily available on YouTube.
Over time, users became acquainted with YouTube’s Partner Program, which provided an opportunity for individuals to generate significant income, a particularly fortunate prospect for many in India during a period of low employment and limited opportunities for industrial development. Users also learned to navigate YouTube’s algorithm to optimize their presence on the platform. Talented individuals seized this opportunity to both earn income and showcase their abilities, serving as role models for many.
It’s worth noting that YouTube emerged as a primary income source, especially for the middle and lower-middle-class demographic. Local news channels gradually began to surface on YouTube, featuring freelancers reporting on ground realities in their respective areas. These channels gained prominence when some mainstream media outlets displayed bias and distorted news coverage to fit their agendas, particularly during events like the NRC and CAA discussions in 2020, notably following the protests in Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh area.
These local news channels played a crucial role in connecting communities during such protests, eliminating the need for reliance on larger media houses. While prominent media outlets did exist on YouTube, the exponential growth of smaller channels compelled them to shift their focus to this platform. Many dedicated journalists and reporters left their mainstream jobs to work independently, establishing their channels on YouTube to pursue their passion for truth-telling. As a result, YouTube became the preferred medium for disseminating news and information, marking a win-win situation for both the platform and its users.
In 2016, another Chinese social media platform, TikTok, was launched in India. While YouTube was gaining popularity, TikTok was also experiencing rapid growth among Indians. On this social media platform, users could create, share, and discover short-form videos, with the capability to produce videos up to 60 seconds long, often featuring music, filters, and various effects. TikTok gained immense popularity, particularly among younger demographics, due to its easy-to-use interface and the ability to quickly create engaging content. It became known for its viral challenges and trends, where users participated by creating their own versions of specific video concepts or dances. Users collaborated with each other through features like Duets, enabling them to split the screen with another user’s video, and Stitch, allowing them to clip and integrate scenes from another user’s video into their own. The platform encouraged interaction through features such as likes, comments, shares, and direct messaging, fostering a sense of community among its users. Additionally, users could live stream on TikTok, enabling them to engage with their followers in real-time. By then TikTok had become a cultural phenomenon, influencing music, fashion, and internet culture at large.
I believe that every individual harbors hidden talents within them, but unfortunately, they often lack the outlet to showcase these abilities. When they witness their favorite stars portraying similar talents on the silver screen, they also yearn for a chance to exhibit their hidden skills. With the advent of TikTok, what could have been a better opportunity? People eagerly seized this chance and began creating videos showcasing their areas of interest. Some engaged in lip-syncing famous dialogues, others sang karaoke music, and some danced to popular songs. Everyone had the opportunity to display their talents to a wide audience through this social media platform. They no longer needed to navigate through hurdles to unleash the hidden talents that had been dormant within them for so long. Since TikTok limited videos to just 60 seconds, it required less effort to create content regularly, making it popular among viewers as well. I have observed numerous youths confidently dancing in public spaces while making these videos, unbothered by any inhibitions. While many individuals also began earning through TikTok, even those who didn’t achieve satisfactory income remained fully engaged with the platform. In essence, people became addicted to TikTok. In June 2020, TikTok, along with several other Chinese mobile applications, was banned in India. This ban coincided with escalating tensions between India and China, primarily stemming from a border dispute. The Indian government cited concerns regarding data privacy and national security as grounds for the ban. Subsequently, everything came to a standstill.
After the ban of TikTok, YouTube seized a significant opportunity to capitalize on the situation. Within three months, YouTube introduced “Shorts,” a feature similar in nature to TikTok. The features and offerings of Shorts were almost identical to TikTok, providing those addicted to TikTok with another platform to showcase their talents. As a result, YouTube quickly gained a large number of eager users for Shorts. However, what ensued was unexpected. Just as people were addicted to TikTok, an even larger number of users became addicted to Shorts. Gradually, the desire to become popular and generate substantial income emerged on the internet. In pursuit of these goals, users often crossed the lines of morality, self-respect, sympathy, and shyness, unwittingly transforming into entertainers who resorted to luring and seducing viewers. Some even went as far as practicing soft pornography to earn significant income.
I can speak from personal experience as I, too, became addicted to Shorts. Unbeknownst to me, I fell into the clutches of this insidious program. It became one of my favourite platforms to pass the time during my leisure hours. However, my conscience was shaken when I witnessed two elderly couples, clearly uninterested, dancing to songs with no discernible talent. It appeared as though someone had convinced them that dancing in front of the camera would alleviate their hardships. Upon closer inspection, I discovered that it was their daughter who had persuaded her parents to dance for financial gain. The couple, in their late sixties, were being influenced by their daughter, likely in her thirties, to perform for an online audience. The video garnered thirty-four thousand likes. Who were the individuals approving of such content? Do they possess the audacity to request their own parents to dance for a living? If not, then they should refrain from encouraging such videos. In another video, the elderly couple, with folded hands, beseeched viewers to support their niece, who was also in dire need. They promised to continue creating such videos for the audience’s entertainment.
Another video proved to be quite distressing, depicting a girl caught with her boyfriend in a closed room by her father. Upon learning of the man’s income, the father himself proposed marriage to the boy, disregarding all moral principles. This video garnered eighteen thousand likes. Who are the individuals endorsing such content? Would they react similarly if their daughter or sister found themselves in such a situation? If not, then why do they exhibit such double standards?
In some videos, physically challenged individuals such as a girl with one leg, a man with abnormally thin legs, another man with no hands and legs, and a man with a deformed upper body, are seen dancing to popular songs or acting in movies clips, often garnering a significant number of likes. While these gestures of support are commendable for boosting their confidence, no organization or governing body steps forward to aid them. If this trend continues, it may not be long before the entertainment industry begins featuring such challenged individuals. Why should they solely rely on social platforms for recognition when the government could intervene and provide support for these individuals?
In some of the videos, beautiful young girls seduce the viewers by posing their body parts inappropriately in front of the camera to get more viewers and expedite the monetization of their respective channels. I have seen shorts where a young and beautiful girl wearing a deep neck t-shirt and mini skirt imparting sex education to the viewers. It was difficult to know her academic background and specialization in particular subjects but my eyebrow raised when a user commented on her objecting to why she makes only sex-education-related videos. Her answer is alarming for all of us. She said that you transfer me Rs 1 crore to my bank account and I would stop making such videos. The interesting fact is that they do not come from poor or lower-middle-class families. If you observe their outfits and locations, you will easily understand that they belong to well-to-do families. Yet, despite this, most of the girls are involved in making such videos. What could be the reason for such desperation? The answer lies in our responsibility for all of this. The increasing number of likes and subscriptions on such channels attracts individuals with weaker moral beliefs who choose this way of earning easy money. When the poor began earning through YouTube, many of us considered this channel as a saviour for them. However, its influence didn’t stop there; its tentacles engulfed all classes of Indian society under its satanic fold. No one seems to be bothered about the repercussions to society or what they are doing. Everyone becomes self-centric under the intoxication of YouTube.”
The list of objectionable videos is extensive, but the purpose of my writing is not to dissect each and every video for the readers. The purpose of this article is to sound the alarm so that the influence of this intoxication clears out immoral acts that are taking a strong foothold in society. Day by day, vulgarity and shamelessness are seeping into society, causing the degradation of our thoughts. If it is not stopped immediately, then these inappropriate ingredients will erode the righteousness of society. Believe me, I am not orthodox, but my heart wrenches when I see people getting involved in such activities. Let’s consider: would we happily and unhesitatingly approve of all those videos if the performers were our own relatives? Certainly not. So, why are we not raising questions to others before its too late? Let’s make YouTube the primary platform for learning, teaching, and a wide range of informative topics, and eradicate the awful and unpleasant acts from the YouTube community. The time has come to beautifully remove the societal threat from the YouTube community and once again tightly wrap it with only opportunities within it.
A very thought provoking and well conveyed article 👍
Captivating and thought-provoking. A very worthwhile read.
You summarize nearly all aspects of YouTube very aptly. An enjoyable read.
Thanks a ton Sir for your encouraging words…