The 5 biggest flaws of modern YouTube [VIDEO]

YouTube has introduced multiple changes over the years, but not all of them have been received well. The most common criticisms online relate to aggressive advertising tactics, addictive Shorts, hidden dislike counts, persistent spam bots, and limited user control over recommendations. While the platform remains the world’s dominant video service, these five YouTube problems frustrate both creators and viewers daily.

Here’s what you need to know about YouTube’s main disadvantages.

1. YouTube feels less honest than it used to

While YouTube continues to add new features, some decisions make the platform less open and transparent than before, leaving some users questioning whether the platform prioritizes creators and viewers or its own bottom line.

Hidden dislike counts hurt viewers

One of YouTube’s biggest changes in recent years was the removal of public dislike counts. While dislikes remain visible to creators inside YouTube Studio, they’re no longer visible to the public. YouTube claims to have made the decision to protect smaller creators from harassment and dislike attacks. 

This change makes it harder for viewers to quickly judge whether a video is helpful or trustworthy. For tutorials, reviews, financial advice, or news coverage, the like-to-dislike ratio was once a valuable signal. Without it, users must rely on the comments section, which could be filled with spam or misleading feedback.

Lost features limit community engagement

In the past, YouTube allowed users to send direct messages and post comments directly in the channels. The channel comment section worked like a public bulletin board where fans could leave general feedback, share fan art, or connect with other viewers between video uploads. Direct messaging let viewers privately share video ideas, report issues, and build deeper connections with creators.

YouTube removed direct messaging in 2018 and channel comments even earlier, citing spam and safety concerns. While these were valid issues, the platform never replaced these features with better alternatives, pushing users off-platform. Creators now struggle to build consistent communities and track analytics across multiple sites, while viewers face constant redirects — watch on YouTube, chat on Discord, get updates on Twitter, and support on Patreon just to follow one channel.

YouTube Communities are a step forward

Recently, YouTube announced a Communities feature that allows subscribers to interact directly on a creator’s channel. The goal is to give fans a dedicated space to share feedback, ask questions, and discuss content again. 

The feature is still being tested, and it’s being rolled out for select channels. While it won’t replace everything lost from older features, it’s a welcome step toward rebuilding stronger connections within the platform. Unfortunately, the Communities feature is currently only available on mobile.

2. YouTube Shorts encourage endless scrolling

Short-form video has exploded in popularity, and YouTube Shorts are the platform’s answer to TikTok and Instagram Reels. They offer creators new ways to reach audiences and keep viewers engaged with quick, entertaining clips. Over time, the quality of Shorts has improved, with many creators investing real effort into making compelling content.

But while Shorts can be fun, they come with significant drawbacks.

Shorts hijack your attention

Shorts are built for rapid consumption, making it easy to spend far more time watching them than intended. Surveys suggest viewers average ~50 min/day on YouTube Shorts, and ~2 hours/day across all short-form platforms. 

For adults, this means unplanned scrolling sessions, but for children, the problem is more concerning. The snack-sized content holds attention, making healthy screen time limits difficult to maintain.

Younger audiences at greatest risk

Shorts especially appeal to younger viewers, who may lack the self-control to regulate online time. Research shows that children aged 0-8 spend an average of 14 minutes daily on short-form video content, varying from 24 minutes for lower-income families to 7 minutes among children from higher-income families. The lack of parental tools or time-based limits around Shorts makes it difficult for families to manage children’s viewing habits effectively.

Shorts may be entertaining, but their addictive nature, limited controls, and risks for younger viewers make them one of YouTube’s most controversial features.

No reliable way to disable Shorts

Despite user requests, YouTube still doesn’t provide a permanent way to disable or hide Shorts. The platform recently introduced a Show fewer Shorts option, but it only works temporarily and often only on the mobile app. As a result, users who prefer long-form content are left without an effective way to customize their experience.

3. YouTube Premium feels overpriced and overloaded

YouTube seems to restrict quality-of-life features that competing platforms offer for free. Background play — letting videos continue when you switch apps — could work perfectly well, but it’s not available unless you pay. Downloaded videos for offline viewing require Premium, despite your device having the storage. Even picture-in-picture mode, a standard mobile feature, is limited to Premium subscribers in many regions. 

Ads can get overwhelming

The number of ads viewers see in a single video depends on several factors: the video’s length, whether the creator has enabled pre-rolls, mid-rolls, or post-rolls, and YouTube’s own automated placement system. On top of that, viewer-specific details such as location, device, and ad personalization settings also shape the experience. This means two people watching the same 20-minute video could see a vastly different number of ads.

Even if total ad load isn’t fixed, the intensity can feel high: YouTube now uses longer ad formats on TVs, occasionally bunches multiple ads into a single break, and (since May 2025) places more mid-rolls at natural breakpoints by default. That means fewer truly quiet stretches in long videos — even if YouTube says the goal is to reduce interruptive placements.

The price tag feels too high

At $13.99/month in the US (or $139.99/year), YouTube Premium costs more than Netflix’s basic plan or Spotify Premium — though prices vary significantly by region, with some countries paying as little as $2-3/month. The subscription bundles several services: ad-free viewing, background play, offline downloads, and YouTube Music; and while this package may appeal to some, not every user needs all these features. For those who get their music elsewhere and simply want to watch videos without ads, the all-in-one subscription feels excessive, especially in regions where Premium costs nearly as much as multiple streaming services combined.

A tiered subscription could make more sense

According to our reviewer Gvidas Mirinauskas, a potential solution would be restructuring YouTube Premium into multiple tiers:

This model would make Premium more accessible and help ensure users get value for their money.

4. Spam bots remain a serious problem

YouTube has always been more than just a video-sharing website — it’s a space where creators and audiences interact. However, the platform faces ongoing challenges with spam and fake engagement that continue to threaten user safety.

Comment spam buries real feedback

YouTube comment sections are plagued by automated spam. One 2025 analysis estimated that bots generated approximately 12% of the comments in its sample, with prevalence varying by niche. 

These bots post generic praise, stolen comments from other videos, or phrases designed to manipulate the algorithm. While they may seem harmless, they bury genuine viewer feedback and make it harder for creators to engage with their real audience. Although YouTube’s detection systems have improved over recent years, distinguishing between real and fake engagement remains a persistent challenge.

Profile links create a backdoor for scams

When YouTube introduced stricter rules and disabled posting links in comments, bots adapted by exploiting channel profiles instead. 

Every YouTube channel has a profile page where creators can add external website links — and even brand-new bot accounts can use this feature. Bots tend to post seemingly helpful comments like I found a solution here or This worked for me, prompting curious viewers to click on their username. 

Once on the bot’s profile, viewers might encounter malicious URLs disguised as legitimate websites, opening themselves up to phishing attacks and malware downloads. Since these links exist outside the comment section itself, they bypass many of YouTube’s automated safety checks.

5. Recommendation system needs more control

YouTube’s recommendation algorithm is one of the most advanced in the industry. It learns from viewing habits, adapts to user interests, and keeps people engaged for hours. YouTube has said ~70% of watch time is driven by recommendations (historical figure; the company has since reiterated that recommendations drive a significant share). This is a major reason YouTube became the world’s dominant video platform.

But while the algorithm effectively keeps users watching, it doesn’t always deliver the best experience.

The algorithm can feel repetitive

YouTube’s recommendation algorithm prioritizes keeping you watching over helping you discover. The platform feeds you variations of content you’ve already shown interest in — turning one gaming video into weeks of gaming recommendations. While certainly effective at maximizing watch time, it’s far from great for broadening viewing patterns. Viewers get trapped watching the same type of content, even when they genuinely want something new.

Smaller creators or innovative content may never get suggested.

While YouTube introduced broad content filters, they’re too vague to provide meaningful control. This lack of variety and personalization contributes to its perceived lack of transparency.

Limited options to reset or refresh content

Currently, there’s no simple way to reset YouTube’s recommendations without starting a new account. Clearing watch history helps temporarily, but the same suggestions tend to reappear within days as the algorithm rebuilds its profile of your interests. Even the Not interested and Don’t recommend channel options can feel ineffective — videos from similar creators or the same topics tend to keep surfacing regardless.

A simple reset button would let users start fresh after their interests change. A new creators-only filter would surface channels outside your usual bubble. Even a discovery mode that temporarily ignores your history would help. Instead, YouTube’s algorithm seems to assume your interests never evolve — if you watched gaming videos three years ago, you’ll probably still see gaming suggestions today, even if you haven’t clicked on one since.

Conclusion: should you keep using YouTube?

YouTube remains worth using — if you know how to manage its downsides. Use a VPN to limit the amount of targeted ads you’re getting, set time limits for Shorts, and consider whether Premium’s features justify its cost for your viewing habits. More transparency, better user controls, smarter community tools, and flexible subscription options could make the experience healthier, safer, and more enjoyable for everyone.