Why Does Everyone Hate YouTube Rewind 2018?

Every year, YouTube compiles a video designed to represent the past 12 months on YouTube. It’s called YouTube Rewind, and it traditionally features famous YouTubers, video clips, music, and cultural trends that defined YouTube during that year.

2018 is no exception. However, YouTube Rewind 2018 is currently the second most-disliked YouTube video of all time. And it’s expected to sail past Justin Bieber’s Baby within the next few days. So, why exactly is YouTube Rewind 2018 universally hated?

The YouTube Rewind 2018 Video

The first time I watched YouTube Rewind I failed to recognize most of the people in it. But I quickly realized I’m not the generation YouTube is targeting with this. However, the number of dislikes and negative comments suggest YouTube missed the mark here.

At the time of writing, YouTube Rewind 2018 has racked up 8.6 million dislikes over the course of four days. Justin Bieber’s Baby has racked up 9.7 million dislikes in the eight years since it was uploaded to YouTube in 2010. YouTube Rewind is crushing it.

Why All the Hate for YouTube?

There are several reasons for the hate, but the biggest is the disconnect between what YouTube thinks represents YouTube in 2018, and what YouTubers and their audiences think represents YouTube in 2018.

YouTube views 2018 as being about Will Smith, Fortnite, the Royal Wedding, and other mainstream fare. There was no mention of Logan Paul and KSI boxing, PewDiePie battling T-Series for the most subscribers, and Shane Dawson experimenting with the format.

PewDiePie’s non-appearance, while justified from a business perspective, has fuelled much of the hate. Like him or loathe him, the YouTube star boasts 76 million subscribers, which makes him a force to be reckoned with. Unless you’re YouTube.

What YouTube Aspires To Be…

YouTube Rewind 2018 isn’t so much a representation of what happened on YouTube in 2018 as what YouTube wants to be in 2019. It’s a happy-go-lucky place where fresh-faced YouTubers mix with actual celebrities, and where brands spend money on advertising.

This disconnect between what YouTube aspires to be, and what YouTubers and their fans actually do on the platform is set to be a running battle for years to come. Which should at least make reading YouTube comments more fun than usual.

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