In the Trump era where fake news is at its peak, fake viewership certainly is as well. In a time where viewership, likes, follows and posed-validation equates to online success, YouTube has managed to be the accredited source to this claim. Needless to say, the Google pillared company has utilized its platform to surpass immense competitors such as Instagram and Facebook.
According to Pew Internet.org, “Today, roughly half (51 percent) of U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 say they use Facebook, notably lower than the shares who use YouTube, Instagram or Snapchat.”
To break it down even more, the spring 2018 Pew Research Center survey concluded that 85 percent of young adults used YouTube, 72 percent used Instagram and meanwhile 51 percent used Facebook.
Essentially as these websites dominate the social media scene for young adults, it has altered the perception of what is considered real and what is considered fake behind the glass screen.
Entrepreneur.com recently expressed how “The delicate balance between performance, becoming yourself and being present is apparent all around us. Because you are working to create something for a mediated audience online, you direct your actions in a given situation toward playing for a camera - not for authentically being in the moment.”
Though it is not surprising that social media has normalized this concept of creating a misleading identity, YouTube has emerged as the catalyst for the popularity of this idea. Recently, the well-known video-sharing platform became the receiving end of the enduring rift between its viewers and its social media public figures.
Racking up countless views and an abundant usage from young adults, YouTube has managed to catapult their money makers’ jobs, careers, brands and, in the midst of it all, promote a certain agenda. At what cost exactly? As a matter a fact, approximately on average “$2.40 per 1000 views” reported Video Marketing Company, Marketing Hy.
Yet, many of you may be wondering what exactly this price represents. In efforts to manipulate viewership at the expense of dismantling YouTube’s credibility and its viewers’ distrust, people have the ability to buy a certain amount of views, depending on how many they want.
However, there’s a method to this madness, according to Marketing Hy. You can get views in three ways: Organically, run YouTube ads (in-stream and in-display) and buy actual views.
Furthermore, affluent YouTubers and even newcomers utilize this “fake views ecosystem” concept to boost their presence and fill their pockets via the platform. Martin Vassilev, owner of 500Views.com, can attest to this as he’s created a self-owned company that primarily sells fake views on YouTube videos.
Overtime, it’s been reported that Vassilev “has sold about 15 million views so far this year (2018), putting him on track to bring in more than $200,000,” according to the New York Times.
To put things in perspective, YouTube creators are paid for their content and played advertisements. Google AdSense Revenue Share reported, “For displaying ads for content, publishers receive 68% of the revenue recognized by Google in connection with the service.” This means that most YouTubers unfortunately rely solely on advertisements to launch their channel and overall image.
By creating an atmosphere encouraging creators to lure viewers via subscriptions, some YouTubers take advantage of this opportunity and buy the look of establishment and succeed based upon the principles of deception and distrust.
Courtesy of The Verge
Courtesy of YouTubeSupply
