Skip to content
Are you tired of scrolling through countless YouTube shorts just to find an actual video that interests you?
You’re not alone. Many users have expressed frustration with the way YouTube’s algorithm presents shorts, and it seems like opinions are divided.
From YouTube influencers who have seen their followings skyrocket thanks to shorts to casual users who find the format overwhelming, there are many different perspectives on the issue.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the arguments both for and against YouTube shorts.
What are YouTube Shorts?
For those who are unfamiliar, YouTube Shorts is a feature that allows users to create and watch short, vertical videos that are up to 60 seconds long.
Similar to TikTok, Shorts videos can be recorded directly within the YouTube app or uploaded from your camera roll.
Unlike traditional YouTube videos, Shorts are designed to be consumed quickly and easily and can be discovered through a dedicated Shorts shelf on the YouTube homepage, as well as through the Shorts tab on individual channels.
The Complaints
As we mentioned earlier, some users have taken issue with the prominence of Shorts on the YouTube app.
These complaints can be broken down into a few key points:
- Shorts are too prevalent in the YouTube app, making it difficult to find traditional videos.
- The option to filter out Shorts is not readily available.
- Shorts are mixed in with traditional videos in users’ subscription feeds and home feeds, making it difficult to distinguish between the two.
- Shorts are being promoted too heavily by YouTube, to the point where they feel intrusive.
Are these complaints valid?
Let’s take a look.
The Defense
Firstly, it’s worth noting that not all users share these complaints.
As one user points out,
“I went from 14,000 followers to 225,000 thanks to shorts lol from 4 mil total views to over 100 million. So I’m not complaining anymore. lol, My long-form videos barely earned money no matter how hard I worked and now my shorts are pulling it in”.
For some creators, Shorts have been a boon, allowing them to reach new audiences and earn more money than they were able to with longer-form content.
Additionally, some users prefer Shorts to traditional YouTube videos, as they find them more digestible and less prone to long, unskippable ads.
As one user notes,
“No, because I prefer 30-second vids as opposed to 10-minute vids with 2 minutes of ads and 1 minute of sponsorship interjected in the middle of the video”.
For these users, Shorts are a welcome addition to the platform.
That being said, it’s clear that some users do find Shorts to be intrusive, and YouTube has not done enough to address these concerns.
As one user points out,
“I don’t quite have the same experience. While scrolling down for appealing videos, there are one or two carousels of shorts. If I want to look through shorts I can scroll horizontally through the carousel. If I don’t care for shorts, I can just scroll down past the carousel and I will continue to see only standard videos. The height of the carousel is the same as any video, so I don’t need to scroll that far”.
While this user has not had an issue with the prevalence of Shorts, it’s clear that others have, and YouTube should do more to make it easier to filter out Shorts if users don’t want to see them.
So, what’s the solution?
Some users have suggested using modified apps like YouTube ReVanced, which allows you to block shorts from your feed.
Others have recommended switching to alternative platforms like Rumble, which has become increasingly popular among creators who feel stifled by YouTube’s policies.
At the end of the day, it’s clear that shorts are here to stay.
While they can be a valuable source of income for creators, they can also be frustrating for users who feel like they’re being bombarded with content they’re not interested in.
It remains to be seen whether YouTube will make changes to its algorithm to address these concerns, or whether users will continue to have to adapt to a platform that’s increasingly dominated by shorts.
