It's a simple way to learn something new without the need of getting too involved with the material.
(For example, Geography Now! [0]has taught me a lot of things about other countries that I would never know about and it only requires like 15 minutes of my effort once per week.)
I consider it a nice way to lose some time when I'm not trying to focus on something.
On the other hand, I haven't watched a movie in months.
Unfortunately, YouTube's recommendations really don't do a lot in helping me discovering new things. I find myself putting in a lot more effort in finding what I would actually enjoy than I would have hoped to have with everything Google knows about me.
0 - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmmPgObSUPw1HL2lq6H4ffA
While reading many of the comments on this thread I had trouble comprehending how anyone could spend so much time watching videos on YouTube. This aside made me realize that I probably spend five or six hours per week watching movies/tv shows. Pretty much the same thing.
I don't appreciate most of the YouTube personalities so it can sometimes be difficult to find good stuff, but then again I don't appreciate most television programming either. But I've realized that there is value in low-brow entertainment and not every single thing you watch has to be a great production with depth.
these people are able to make enough from youtube to either supplement a good professional income, or replace it altogether. which makes everyone, both producer and viewer, very happy indeed.
To me this seems bizarre, or maybe friends around my age are doing this and not talking about it—but lots of people around my age use a lot of Facebook, which I also find to be a waste of time and counter-stimulating.