I would love if someone could answer this with quick examples. What exactly are people watching on YouTube that can’t be replaced elsewhere? If I’m needing informational content I will generally seek it out in textual format, as it’s painful to sit through a video on that sort of thing. And if it’s entertainment, there are many other options.

I recently watched a 10-hour video essay on Harry Potter. I can only find stuff like that on YouTube.

OK…but why would you do that!? Your life surely would be no worse without that. I get being a fan and all that, I grew up with HP,. I’ve read the books several times and seems the movies several times. HP was a huge part of my upbringing and I bought the books at release. But I just don’t get watching a 10h video essay on it, much less while supporting YT.

When I’m doing a long shift at work iblike tonout one of those really long videos on while I’m working, makes my shift fly by and insont have to worry aboutnwhata coming on next.

If you’re not watching it anyway, why choose a medium with video at all? Seems like the easiest thing to ditch YT with that kind of usage where the audio is actually what you’re needing.

Because I want to.

I just wrote a rather long comment to that person and now I’ve realized they are being purposefully obtuse.

You playing the content on YouTube is entirely justified. Lots of people put the news on a television instead of a radio while doing things around the house, because occasionally something visual is referenced or something is said that seems interesting enough to look over at the screen.

Besides, it’s not like the person that went through the effort of putting together a ten hour long essay is going to publish just the audio as a podcast or something.

That person’s an egg head, you enjoy your essays.