Like, Comment, Subscribe: How YouTube Conquered the World

I'm no longer feeling the warm fuzzies for Google. This book is primarily about YouTube. However, the use of algorithms instead of humans is scary. Algorithms seem good when looking retrospectively. However, for anything future looking, they are subject to manipulation. You get algorithms to respond to algorithms. Do we get to the state where computers are creating videos that are watched by computers and monetized by ads generated by other computers? 

This book is a fairly objective look at Youtube's rise and the many challenges it has faced. Creators often struggle when a simple algorithm change greatly curtails their viewership. Quality is not so important as engagement. Algorithms that pick the next video can easily lead people into echo chambers where their beliefs are amplified. Curtailing one person's hate speech curtails another person's legitimate conversation. To some there is not enough monitoring. To others there is too much. Even Kids Youtube can let not-good-for-kids content slip through. Even worse the "next video" feature can lead people down an endless trail of morass. YouTube as a platform has too much power to influence our thoughts. Yet, there is not anyone that really understands how this power is used. Even monetization is based on algorithms to show the maximum amount of advertisements that don't hurt viewership. It feels like we should keep away, rather than let it be consumed with regularity.