As consumers and students, we expect nothing less than what we pay for. YouTube, however, is a different story because it is a free application. In order to make

money, creators on YouTube depend on monetization, which is what allows YouTubers to have advertisements on their videos. Without monetization and the money they make from these ads, creators would not have the ability to improve the overall quality of their content.

According to Google, creators must reach a certain threshold of watch hours and subscribers to be eligible to profit from their videos. This pushes YouTubers to produce higher quality products that in turn attract a larger audience that fund their channel.

“I think people who make good videos deserve to make money because their videos are getting a lot of views and they’re putting a lot of effort into making them,” sophomore Timothy Swanson said.

While some creators use “Clickbait,” in which they upload videos with misleading titles to entice viewers and raise their watch hours, the YouTube platform ultimately allows for ordinary people with extraordinary talents to share their passions and interests. Although a 30-second advertisement may be a nuisance in the short term, in the long run, these advertisements incentivize YouTubers to produce fresh, new content.

Most high schoolers, myself included, can remember a time when YouTube was nonexistent, much less a means for a career. Today, YouTube has become a thriving community in which people can inform and entertain one another. Viewers and creators alike play a role in keeping this platform alive, and through monetization, consumers can single-handedly contribute to the success of this subset of our culture.