YouTube is cleaning up one of the worst parts of Shorts
Giving low-effort Shorts less room to breathe.
YouTube is taking steps to improve the Shorts feature on its platform, aiming to reduce the prevalence of low-effort reuploads and repetitive content in users' feeds. In a recent blog post, the company announced updates to its recommendation system specifically for Shorts. The primary focus of these changes is to limit the reach of re-uploaded videos, which are content clips taken from other creators without any meaningful commentary, editing, storytelling, or other original elements added by the reuploader.
However, the updates do not completely eliminate the possibility of re-uploaded content appearing in users' feeds. Instead, they ensure that such videos will have a smaller audience if creators do not contribute additional value through their own creative input. Meaningful commentary, editing, storytelling, or other original angles can still allow the re-uploaded video to gain visibility.
For users, the changes should lead to a less repetitive experience when browsing Shorts. Instead of being bombarded with endless copies of the same content, viewers can expect a more diverse range of videos tailored to their interests. Creators who upload their own long-form videos and add their unique perspectives to them are unlikely to be affected by these changes.
YouTube Shorts have faced criticism from users who feel the feature has been over-promoted across the platform, with many expressing a desire for it to be a standalone app or to have the option to limit its daily feed to zero. YouTube has responded to this dissatisfaction by implementing these updates to prioritize original content and improve the overall user experience.
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