Posted By: Shawn

I’m gonna be real… being a small creator on YouTube right now feels like shouting into a void. Back in the day, you could upload a video and actually have a fair shot at being seen. The homepage would show a mix of content, and people discovered you naturally. Now? It feels like if you’re not already big or not paying, you’re invisible.

And let’s talk about Shorts for a second… because ever since Shorts came in, everything shifted. Don’t get me wrong, I get why they did it—trying to compete with TikTok—but it messed up the whole balance. Now the algorithm pushes quick, flashy content over real, meaningful long-form videos. Some of us actually LIKE creating full videos where we can connect, tell stories, and be ourselves. That’s what YouTube was BUILT on.

What makes it worse is hearing leadership say music videos and certain types of content are what people want most. That might be true for some viewers, but what about the rest of us? What about lifestyle creators, daily vloggers, small niche communities? We’re still here, still creating, but we’re not being seen.

It just feels like the platform stopped caring about the everyday creator. Now it’s about what trends, what sells, what keeps people scrolling. And if you don’t fit that mold, good luck 😒 I’m not paying to promote my content. I just want a fair chance like we used to have. That’s it.

Posted By: Verified User

I feel this so much. Like seriously, it’s not even about talent anymore, it’s about playing the algorithm game, and not everybody wants to do that. Some of us just want to post REAL content and grow naturally.

I tried doing Shorts thinking it would help my channel, and yeah, I got some views… but those viewers don’t even convert to my long videos. It’s like two completely different audiences. So now I’m stuck wondering, what’s the point? 😩

And you’re right about the homepage. I remember discovering random creators all the time just by scrolling. That doesn’t happen anymore unless they already have traction. Everything feels controlled now.

Also, the whole “people only want certain content” thing is kinda frustrating. People want what they’re shown. If YouTube keeps pushing the same stuff, of course that’s what’s gonna trend. That doesn’t mean other content isn’t valuable.

I’m with you though, I’m not paying for views either. That just feels fake to me. I’d rather grow slow and real than fast and forced. Honestly, I think a lot of small creators are feeling this way right now. You’re definitely not alone 💯