So, for those of you who have read my articles before, you know that I am obsessed with anything YouTube. I love how you can make and post content that has to do with things you love. You are able to express yourself on this but platform, but recently YouTube made some updates and myself and many others aren't happy.
If you don't keep up on the YouTube updates and news, then you probably didn't know that YouTube recently decided updated their restricted mode. When you turn this new restricted mode on, is seems that LGBTQ+ content is being censored. The YouTube site says that this restricted mode involves "community flagging, anything considered as being inappropriate content, and age restrictions. Unfortunately with this new restriction mode, content containing same sex couples, education on LGBTQ+ topics, and coming out videos are being filtered out along with porn, inappropriate content, and graphic content. For some reason though, no one can figure out why this is happening and why are they are being filtered with other "inappropriate content."
The LGBTQ+ community makes up a large part of the YouTube community, and they are not happy. This new restriction greatly hurts their views and their careers. These creator have been seen lately complaining to YouTube creators about these concerns and so have many fans, but they have all been getting the same response. They have been told that no matter what viewers can turn off the restriction mode, but that is besides the point and it still makes me angry.
People often turn to YouTube for help and many of the videos that give advice and help are the LGBTQ+ creators. Most coming out videos and educational videos by these creators have become viral and made a huge impact on not only the entire LGBTQ+ community, but especially by LGBTQ+ youth. The use these videos as outlets to help express themselves. These videos encourage them and empower them to be them and live their lives how they want to.
Although the creators of YouTube did take to Twitter to respond to the matter. It seems they played it off as a glitch or malfunction in the restriction mode. This is not the only "glitch" that has happened recently in YouTube history. If you remember, last month YouTubers experienced a dramatic drop in their viewers. It appeared to them that YouTube was unsubscribing their subscribers and this did not make people happy, but once again, it was played off as a glitch. Unfortunately for YouTube, it seems to me that they need a new management crew.
Although this has negatively impacted the LGBTQ+ community on YouTube, I do have to say that I am proud for YouTube for responding to the complaints. I know they are making an effort to change the new restriction mode, but unfortunately the damage is already done. YouTubers in this community have become a bit more apprehensive about whether this will happen again and if they will suffer every time the restriction mode is updated.
All we can hope is that the new restriction mode will be changed so these YouTubers are no longer being effected negatively. Every media platform has its flaws and this proves to be one of them. Thankfully YouTube creators seem to be trying to do everything they can to change this current flaw and future flaws to come.
