[ashtonkem]

Every content creator I follow seems pretty desperate to get away from YouTube. Creating a system where critical content creators are rewarded by an algorithm that requires burnout behavior continually does not seem like a long term stable business design.

[kibwen]

> Creating a system where critical content creators are rewarded by an algorithm that requires burnout behavior continually does not seem like a long term stable business design.

Sadly, history has shown that this is completely sustainable. Content creators that burn out will be replaced from among the legion of up-and-comers who are eager for their own shot at the spotlight, and are happy to sacrifice their well-being to do so. If ruthlessly exploiting youthful naivete weren't sustainable, then the games industry would have folded decades ago.

[intricatedetail]

It should be regulated. Creators for all intents and purposes are employees of YouTube and should at least be paid minimum wage, get holidays and sick pay. It's time YT gets Ubered.

[ashtonkem]

Such systems will always work much better for undifferentiated labor than specialized labor. Uber’s workers need protection because they’re so replaceable; anyone with the same class of car in the same city can replace them.

YouTube creators are irreplaceable and wildly unequal in their reach and impact. The issue here isn’t that content creators need a minimum wage, the issue here is that the algorithm needs tweaking. This is possible with regulation, but minimum wage and holiday pay won’t do it, especially since they’re not paid by the hour anyways.

YouTubers would be much better served looking at what NFL players and similar organizations do to protect players rather than what factory workers did to protect themselves, since their labor looks more like sports players rather than service workers.