It's a mix of both, I guess. I don't like youtube taking over for text based sources. It's less accessible, way less efficient, and feeds into the google surveillance machine.

This doesn't address your (valid) systemic concerns, but on efficiency the way I like to use links like this is by adding them to a queue for later, then, if I have an opportunity to play them while doing the dishes or commuting or just feeling like watching a television I play them back, usually at higher speed of playback than 1.0. If I'm just sitting on the couch actively watching I'll read ahead in the transcript and skip ahead if I feel like it.