How YouTube's Tumultuous Past Will Shape Its Future

How YouTube's Tumultuous Past Will Shape Its Future

Collectively, people stream more than a billion hours of video on YouTube every single day. That's a lot of eyeballs, and it means the platform has enormous influence. In its twisty-turny path from dwarfish startup to internet colossus, YouTube has launched the careers of creatives, and hosted a host of misinformation and conspiracy theories. It has been a source of joy and entertainment, and also sparked real-world tragedies.

This week on Gadget Lab, we talk with journalist and author Mark Bergen about his new book, which is all about the video-streaming platform and its path to cultural domination.

Show Notes

Mark Bergen’s new book, Like, Comment, Subscribe: Inside YouTube’s Chaotic Rise to World Domination is out September 6.

Recommendations

Mark recommends the YouTube channel of Bill Wurtz. Lauren recommends the book Normal Family by Chrysta Bilton. Mike recommends the climate newsletter “One5C” by Joe Brown.


Mark Bergen can be found on Twitter @mhbergen. Lauren Goode is @LaurenGoode. Michael Calore is @snackfight. Bling the main hotline at @GadgetLab. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@booneashworth). Our theme music is by Solar Keys.

Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Jaksot(426)

How to Hack a Poker Game

How to Hack a Poker Game

Last week, the US Justice Department published an indictment involving NBA stars and members of the mob for allegedly running a network of rigged gambling games. One of their rigging tactics was a man...

30 Loka 202531min

BIG INTV: Why Nicholas Thompson Made a Custom GPT to Run Faster

BIG INTV: Why Nicholas Thompson Made a Custom GPT to Run Faster

The Atlantic CEO’s new book, The Running Ground, examines his complicated relationship with the sport. Nicholas Thompson, former WIRED editor, talks to Katie about the ways tech is helping him become ...

28 Loka 202550min

WIRED Roundup: Protest Frogs, Google Bedbugs, AI Psychosis

WIRED Roundup: Protest Frogs, Google Bedbugs, AI Psychosis

In today’s episode, Zoë is joined by WIRED’s Louise Matsakis to run through five stories that you need to know about this week — from how SEO is changing in the era of AI, to how frogs became a protes...

24 Loka 202522min

How Data Centers Actually Work

How Data Centers Actually Work

Tech giants have been investing hundreds of billions of dollars into AI data centers just this year alone. But as the deals pile up, so have the concerns around their viability and sustainability. Mik...

23 Loka 202528min

BIG INTV: Zohran Mamdani, the Internet’s Mayor

BIG INTV: Zohran Mamdani, the Internet’s Mayor

Mere months ago, New York's mayoral frontrunner was polling at the same level as literally "someone else." Zohran Mamdani talks to Katie about building a social media juggernaut, Big Tech capitulation...

20 Loka 202532min

WIRED Roundup: Satellites Data Leak, Cybertrucks, Politicized Federal Workers

WIRED Roundup: Satellites Data Leak, Cybertrucks, Politicized Federal Workers

In today’s episode, Zoë is joined by WIRED’s Jake Lahut to run through five stories that you need to know about this week — from how satellites are leaking sensitive data to what Zoë learned after int...

17 Loka 202521min

The New Power of Far-Right Influencers

The New Power of Far-Right Influencers

History professor Mark Bray is no stranger to death threats. As the author of the book Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook, published in 2017, he has received backlash and harassment from far-right circ...

16 Loka 202532min

BIG INTV: Mark Cuban Would Still Have Dinner With Donald Trump

BIG INTV: Mark Cuban Would Still Have Dinner With Donald Trump

Billionaire Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks and co-founder of Cost Plus Drugs, talks to Katie about the state of entrepreneurship, American healthcare, and tech under Trump. The investor cam...

14 Loka 202544min