YouTube views are down (don't panic)

Adblock Crackdown vs. Metric Changes

• Some think falling view numbers are mainly due to YouTube’s anti‑adblock push: fake errors, playback interruptions, and harsher ad walls driving users away or to other platforms.
• Others argue adblock use is concentrated on desktop, while most viewing is on mobile/TV, so the impact on total views may be limited.
• Several comments propose a quieter explanation: YouTube may have changed how it counts views (e.g., ignoring very short plays or autoplay-in-feed), which would drop “views” while likes and revenue stay flat.
• People note YouTube hasn’t clearly acknowledged any such methodology change, breeding mistrust.

Rising Ad Load and Perceived “Enshittification”

• Many report a sharp increase in ad frequency, length, and unskippable ads, including mid‑sentence insertions into older videos.
• Some interface changes (Roku home limited to one suggestions row, logged-out homepage with no recommendations, autoplay in feeds, more shorts) are seen as making the free experience worse to push Premium.
• A few users say this has broken their doomscroll habit; they simply watch less YouTube now.

Recommendations, Shorts, and Algorithm Frustration

• Widespread complaints that recommendations ignore subscriptions, over-focus on a single recent topic, resurface already-watched videos, or push “AI slop” and low‑quality clickbait.
• Shorts are heavily pushed and often repetitive; some turn off watch history or use tools to hide shorts and other “slop.”
• Several users now rely on the Subscriptions feed, RSS, or third‑party apps to bypass the algorithm entirely.

User Responses: Premium, Blocking, and Workarounds

• Some pay for Premium and see it as good value, especially vs other streaming services; others find $14/month excessive and instead use adblockers, ReVanced, Freetube, Pinchflat + Plex/Jellyfin, etc.
• A contingent refuses to disable adblock under any circumstance; if a site breaks, they leave. Others avoid adblock to avoid depriving creators, though this stance weakens as ad load grows.

Advertising, Kids, and Privacy

• Strong concern about the psychological and privacy impact of pervasive tracking ads, especially on children.
• Others counter that most people tolerate ads as they always have; the anti‑ad sentiment is seen as a “nerd bubble” perspective.

Creator Economics and Uneven Impact

• Some creators and observers report: views down, but likes and revenue stable—consistent with accounting or adblock-related changes rather than a pure audience collapse.
• Smaller or niche creators describe poor pay and increasing competition as reasons for posting less or quitting, while some speculate that reduced views for big channels may mean more exposure for new or smaller ones.