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YouTube was created by three founders: Steven Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. Surprisingly its first intent was to be a dating site, however that changed as its popularity grew (Hutchinson, 2023). Thankfully, the founders chose the smart route and kept the website a video sharing site.- Hutchinson, J. (2023, May 8). People shocked after finding out the real reason YouTube was created. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12043641/What-YouTube-originally-created-for.html
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The acquisition combined one of the largest and fastest growing video sharing websites with Google’s expertise and capital. YouTube’s growth skyrocketed as the resources provided by the parent company Google allowed for more innovation in this online area. -
For the first time in American history no journalists or panelists were in between the American public and the presidential candidates. People from the public could ask the presidential candidates questions via video submissions and get a live response in a matter of minutes. This was a new level of interactivity for the American public and getting involved in politics. -
YouTube continued building up its audience by introducing access to movie rentals via the internet. This was rivaling competitors like Netflix at the time as both companies offered similar services. This access to more entertainment shaped the way Americans consumed their media by offering more on demand works.- Helft, M. (2010, January 20). YouTube Takes a Small Step Into the Film Rental Market. https://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/21/technology/internet/21youtube.html
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YouTube continues to drive interest as it hits 1 billion actives users a month. In context, that meant that nearly one out of every two people on the internet at the time were visiting YouTubes website a month (Reuter Staff, 2013).- Reuter Staff (2013, March 20). YouTube says has 1 billion monthly active users. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-youtube-users/youtube-says-has-1-billion-monthly-active-users-idUSBRE92K03O20130321
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Following the trend of other quick content streaming services, YouTube created YouTube Stories to compete in the online market. Some competitors that they were seeking to challenge were Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok. These changes allowed Americans interact with their family, friends, audiences, fans, and strangers in a different way. -
YouTube has been adding more video content by working together with media giants like Warner Bros, Disney, Paramount, Universal Studios, and more. Additionally, YouTube is attempting to utilize AI-generated search engines to assist in helping users find the content that they are looking for.