Two Decades of YouTube

It is crazy to think that YouTube first came into existence the year that I was born. That would be two entire decades ago. I feel like a lot of social media platforms have come and gone in the past 20 years, but YouTube seems to always be the same. They might have added new features and given a facelift to the aesthetics of the site, but the heart of YouTube has always remained the same — sharing video content online. 

When I was younger I primarily used YouTube to watch music videos. My siblings and I always had a blast hooking up our computer to the television so that we could play our favorite band’s music. Sure, there were some ads that popped up every now and then, but my siblings and I mainly cared about listening to our favorite tunes, not the stuff that comes in between. 

Here I am years later, still using the same app that I used as a child. I now use it for a different purpose than when I was younger. Music videos are fun to watch and listen to every once in a while, but now I watch vlogs and listen to podcasts with YouTube. I get to have a glimpse at social and political commentary through podcasts as well as watch DIY tutorials or day-in-the-life videos of different media influencers from across the world. YouTube has grown in its potential over the past two decades, reaching a variety of different audiences and helping businesses and individual influencers flourish.

While many companies have their own YouTube pages, it is quite common for those companies to partner with individual content creators and influencers to help promote their products rather than posting about it themselves. Content creators often accept various forms of sponsorships and will also take ad breaks in the middle of episodes to help promote certain products.

Even if Brands choose not to partner up with individual content creators, just having ads show up at the beginning, middle or end of episodes is a humongous money maker. According to the Stukent textbook, YouTube received a total of $31.5 billion in ad revenue in 2024. That is an insane number but it goes to show how often companies use the add options to help raise awareness for their brand and generate leads.

All in all, YouTube is an amazing platform that has persevered for over two decades. It is a great way for both large and small platforms to get their voices out there and also maximize their marketing opportunities. 

See you next time,

Evie Megery


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