List of YouTube Pros and Cons
First, have a look at the Pros of YouTube and then we will go through the Cons.
1 List of YouTube Pros and Cons1.1 Pros1.2 Cons
Pros
1) Becoming a Content Creator
Each one of us is unique in some way, having a special talent that would define us. But most of us never find an audience to exhibit their skills. With YouTube, this scenario changed completely. Starting a channel on YouTube and sharing content is easier than making a Facebook account. Some of the biggest names on YouTube (PewDieDie, Alex Goot, ||SuperWoman|| etc.) started their journey by sharing their content in a similar fashion. It is not guaranteed that you would become famous. However, chances are high that you would at least find an audience that would recognize and appreciate your talent.
2) Marketing Benefits
The next advantage of YouTube is its own ads. YouTube ads are a brilliant way for promotion. The ads that precede any video ensure that the viewer will definitely notice their product, even though it was there only for 5 seconds. The pop-up ads within the videos are another effective marketing strategy, which helps users to monetize their traffic in a better way.
3) Educational Purpose
YouTube is perhaps the biggest unofficial hub of knowledge. It began with some people creating informative videos on YouTube, and others like them. Today, many have become famous just by sharing knowledge via YouTube videos (CrashCourse, SmarterEveryDay, Veritasium etc.). Not just that, but many reputed universities like MIT and Harvard now choose to host their videos on YouTube, so that they are accessible by all. Undoubtedly, YouTube is one of the best places to learn something new. Not just formal education, but cooking, painting, driving and even adventure sports- you can learn just about everything here. It is a fact that videos are more effective in stimulating our interest, which explains why TEDx Talks have more than 9 million subscribers.
4) Biggest Hub for Videos
It is no secret that YouTube has more content than almost every other video-streaming site combined. There are many reasons for this. First, the ease of sharing videos here makes it appealing to the users. Second, the huge user base compels every famous content creator to have a channel here. Third, the same user base attracts more amateurs to become content creators. Whatever be the reason, it cannot be denied that YouTube is the king of videos on this planet. This means, that you can find videos on just about anything here. Furthermore, its huge popularity has led many esteemed media houses to release their content exclusively on YouTube, which is another reason why YouTube is the best.
5) Available on Every Device
Like most apps from Google, YouTube seems to have no barrier of device or OS. It works excellently on both web browser and mobile apps. The app is available on iOS, Android, and Windows. This means that you could access the huge world of entertainment on YouTube from just about anywhere.
Cons
1) Lack of Privacy
Unfortunately, there is no concept of “specific user content” on YouTube. Anything you share is available for the entire world to see. This is the primary reason why many people prefer platforms like Facebook to upload videos that are meant only for a restricted audience.
2) Inappropriate Content
Even though YouTube claims to have strict filters to restrict inappropriate content, people find ways to bypass it anyway. Even right now, a simple search can bring to you a horde of videos with graphic violence and hate speech. This makes it very hard for people who want to use YouTube for a clean experience. Furthermore, the “recommendations” feature of YouTube is a terrible thing, since it fills your app home screen with videos you last saw, even if it was through some mistake.
3) Addiction to Quick Fame
Like we mentioned earlier, YouTube has become a platform for getting quick fame. While most of it was positive, we cannot ignore the negative aspect of it either. The desire to emulate YouTube celebs and become rich & famous like them tempts many youngsters to take dangerous measures, which often have grave and lasting consequences. The harmful tendency to seek the attention of others is found very prevalent on YouTube.
4) Copyright Infringement
Another disadvantage of YouTube is Copyright Infringement. YouTube has been saying this for years that they take copyright infringement seriously. But numerous channels edit and use the original content of other YouTubers to gain traffic (and revenues) on their own channels.
5) Inappropriate Comments
Everybody knows that the YouTube comment section is a messy place. There are literally nothing to stop people there – no filters, no restrictions, and a “flagging” option that doesn’t seem to work. As such, people fill the comment section of any controversial video with hate speech. The level of deplorable comments one might find in the YouTube section is enough to churn your stomach. The above YouTube advantages and disadvantages helped you knowing some unknown facts about it. You can share your own experience via comments which you like and dislike about YouTube.
