Over the eons, lots of very different kinds of crustaceans have evolved flatter, shorter
shells.
Their bellies have gotten wider.
Their tails have gotten tucked up under their bodies.
In other words, all these different animals have become remarkably similar –they've
all become crabs.
And in a way, that very same process is happening on YouTube.
Hi, I’m David, and this is MinuteMetaphor.
Ok, it's not like YouTubers are becoming crabs (at least not that we know about).
But like all those very different crustaceans, many YouTube videos ARE becoming more and
more similar to one another, with lookalike titles and thumbs, and more or less the same
run-times.
What we’re looking at here is basically convergent evolution.
In the natural world, convergent evolution happens when species independently evolve
similar traits.
It often happens when different species face the same ecological problem; like, certain
crustaceans known as decapods are great at defending themselves from frontal attacks,
but they're prone to getting snatched by clever predators that grab them from behind.
And they only have certain tools at their disposal to deal with this problem; crustaceans
can’t just evolve tail chainsaws, after all.
But they can undergo small, incremental changes in their body shape; a smaller, tucked-under
tail presents fewer vulnerable areas for predators to grab.
And a flatter, wider shell frees their legs to move side to side giving them more ways
to escape.
Over the last 200 million years, more than 50% of decapod species have ended up stumbling
onto the same kinds of adaptations – those that make them crabs.
In the digital world, YouTubers, too, are all trying to solve the same problem: they
need to get a ton of eyeballs on their content to survive.
And they, too, have only so many tools at their disposal – – it’s not like they
can suddenly pivot and start making Pixar Marvel films.
But creators can focus on attracting the favor of YouTube’s algorithmic recommendation
system; many are giving their videos attention-grabbing titles and, well, you know the thumb.
And this stuff works; studies have shown that higher numbers of people click on “the thumb”,
which causes the algorithm to recommend the video to even more people.
Lots of creators have also converged on 20-minute run-times, which might sound random, but according
to research, it’s the algorithm’s favorite length.
Even the most stubborn of channels are occasionally displaying these traits – although we’ll
likely evolve claws before we make a 20-minute video.
Of course, there are differences between the convergence going on in YouTube videos and
that in crustaceans.
Unlike crustaceans, which mutate randomly and independently from one another, many YouTubers
are undertaking this process consciously; they’re seeing what success looks like in
other channels and are pivoting to give themselves the best opportunity to survive.
But some creatures – and creators – have found success zigging when everyone else has
zagged.
Take the frog crab, which used to look like, well, every other crab.
But more recently, it has evolved to hide from predators by burying itself in the sand;
it’s actually lost its crab shape – and has flourished anyway.
And some YouTubers who used to regularly make somewhat clickbait-y 20-minute videos, presumably
to appease the algorithm, now make just a few multi-hour long videos a year that feature
thumbs and titles like this.
And viewers flock to them anyway.
So yeah, despite all the convergence going on out there, there are lots of ways to be
a successful YouTuber, and lots of ways to be a successful crustacean.
And as the YouTube environment and the natural environment continue to change with more threats
and opportunities, we’ll likely see all sorts of new adaptations, too.
Not every YouTuber has to turn into Mr. Beast, and not every mystery beast has to turn into
a crab.
We're more interested in telling stories about beasts than becoming Mr Beast.
But that means that we only occasionally stumble into that YouTube algorithmic fairy dust.
So the best way to make sure we’re able to keep making our brand of videos is through
the help of our supporters over at Patreon.
And now is the best time to join, since we’ve cooked up a bunch of awesome perks to get
you to make the leap.
If you become a patron at any level –from $3 a month on up– you’ll get a monthly
4k downloadable featuring one of our favorite nerdy charts or images.
If you become a patron at $6 a month or higher, we will stick-figurize you and send it to
you as a high-res download.
We may even include your stick figure in a future video!.
And if you become a super supporter –an annual member at $30 a month or higher–
in addition to all that other stuff, you’ll also become a founding member of the first
MinuteEarth T-shirt club.
Every quarter, we’ll send out a new high-quality original MinuteEarth T-shirt designed just
for you.
Here’s a sneak peek at the first one.
They’re going to be awesome - and your support will allow us to keep making weird wonderful
science videos.
So don’t make us crabby –come join the Patreon party at patreon.com/minuteearth.
That’s patreon.com/minuteearth.