YouTube celebrates 20 years of viral content

YouTube has been a significant part of online culture for 20 years. Launched in February 2005, it became the second most popular social media platform, after Facebook. Many viral videos, like "Charlie Bit My Finger," have captured global attention. In New Zealand, fun clips like "Nekminnit" have also gained popularity. Journalist Paddy Gower shared his experience with a viral video that featured the phrase "this is the F'ing news." Originally part of a skit in 2014, Gower's clip unexpectedly gained over a million views overnight. His boss even considered asking YouTube to remove it. Gower admitted he initially disliked the attention but later embraced it. He noted that the phrase is still heard often and has even inspired a book and a tour. Another success story comes from the comedy and gaming channel Viva La Dirt League. Founded in 2011 by Rowan Bettjeman, Alan Morrison, and Adam King, it now boasts over seven million subscribers. Bettjeman said that after years of slow growth, they took a leap of faith and quit their jobs to focus on YouTube full-time. Reaching one million subscribers was a dream they never thought would come true. The video landscape has changed with the rise of platforms like Instagram and TikTok. Bettjeman mentioned that they now have to adapt their content for different formats, especially for TikTok, which is now a major source for their videos. As they look back on the past 20 years, many creators wonder how video content will evolve in the future. For now, classics like Nyan Cat remain favorites.