This video from Kate Cassidy this week got me thinking about a topic I’ve sort of meant to talk about in the past, but never got around to. Is YouTube Social Media or something much more than that? Well, I’ve always thought of YouTube as a discovery platform, which has social media elements, but can be used entirely as an entertainment and educational platform without bothering with the social aspects. Shorts have become a bit too pervasive for me lately, and I only engage with them if people I subscribe to make them. Fortunately for me. I suppose, I don’t ever get sucked into the shorts black hole so many other people I know do.

Like Kate, I’m more interested in the long form commentaries and discussions than the click bait and vlog like content so many people love these days. But as she says in the video, YouTube has such longevity. So, as a discovery engine, it can pull up content from over a decade ago that can still find a fresh audience years later. Personally, I use the platform more for music discovery and following favorite artists, then ASMR content to help me sleep thanks to my insomniac tendencies.

But then I stumble across gems like Kate, too! There are so many people on YouTube who are brilliant and offer perspectives and insights that really make me think and start looking at the world a bit differently. I think YouTube is awesome and I hope that shorts don’t inevitably ruin it in the long term.

Please subscribe to Kate on YouTube and watch her videos. They have made me rethink so many things about my relationship with tech and how to live more intentionally. You won’t be disappointed!