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YouTube Turns 20!

How did a site for sharing videos with friends end up changing the world?

March 3, 2025
By Ellen Song

As You Read, Think About: What makes YouTube so popular?

If you’re looking for something fun to watch online, chances are you’ll go to YouTube. The site hosts more than 14 billion videos. That includes countless funny clips of cats, speeches by world leaders, and just about everything in between. 

But it all started with a blurry video of a man standing near elephants at a zoo. One of YouTube’s founders posted it on April 23, 2005. The 19-second clip launched a site that would forever change how people are entertained and informed. 

“YouTube was one of the first places where people could find videos about almost anything,” says Jonah Berger. He’s a professor at the University of Pennsylvania who studies why YouTube videos go viral. 

Let’s say you’re looking for something fun to watch online. Chances are you’ll go to YouTube. The site hosts more than 14 billion videos. That includes everything from funny clips of cats to speeches by world leaders. 

But it all started with a blurry video of a man standing near elephants at a zoo. One of YouTube’s founders posted it on April 23, 2005. The clip was just 19 seconds long. It launched a site that would forever change how people are entertained and informed.   

“YouTube was one of the first places where people could find videos about almost anything,” says Jonah Berger. He’s a professor at the University of Pennsylvania. He studies why YouTube videos go viral.  

Getting Started

In 2005, the internet as we know it had been in wide use for less than 10 years. You could find videos online, but there wasn’t a central site for them. YouTube’s founders came up with a way to upload and share clips easily. Their original idea was for a website that would allow users to share homemade videos with friends. 

Before long, YouTube became a place for people around the world to connect instantly. By the summer of 2006, YouTube’s videos were getting more than 100 million views each day. 

In 2005, the internet as we know it had been used widely for less than 10 years. You could find videos online. But there wasn’t a central site for them. YouTube’s founders came up with a way to upload and share clips easily. Their original idea was for a website for users to share homemade videos with friends. 

Soon YouTube became a place for people around the world to connect instantly. By the summer of 2006, YouTube’s videos were getting more than 100 million views each day.

Spreading Fast

Viral videos didn’t start with YouTube. But the site enabled them to spread at an unprecedented pace. In May 2007, a man in England uploaded a video of his young son getting upset after his baby brother bites his finger. The dad intended to share the clip with a friend in the U.S. 

But the video ended up going viral like none before it. By October 2009, “Charlie Bit My Finger” had been seen more than 129 million times. 

Viral videos didn’t start with YouTube. But the site allowed them to spread at an unprecedented pace. In May 2007, a man in England uploaded a video. It showed his young son getting upset after his baby brother bites his finger. The dad meant to share the clip with a friend in the U.S. 

But the video went viral like none before it. By October 2009, “Charlie Bit My Finger” had been seen more than 129 million times.  

New Ways to Fame

By then, it was clear that YouTube could help people become famous. Performers started posting videos of themselves. Pop stars like Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande landed recording contracts after videos of them singing started racking up views on YouTube. 

The site also led to an entirely new type of career: the YouTuber. These content creators specialize in a wide variety of topics. Some make helpful tutorials, such as how to bake a cake or play guitar. Other YouTubers have created new forms of entertainment. Back in 2005, the idea of millions of people watching someone playing a video game or organizing their room was unheard of.

Popular YouTubers earn money when viewers watch the ads that play before and during videos. Companies might also pay YouTubers to promote products in their videos. 

No YouTuber has been more successful than Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast. His wacky stunts, challenges, and giveaways have earned him more than 350 million subscribers on his main YouTube channel. His YouTube success has helped MrBeast launch other businesses. Altogether, MrBeast says he takes in up to $700 million per year.

By then, it was clear that YouTube could help people become famous. Performers started posting videos of themselves. Both Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande signed recording contracts after videos of them singing started racking up views.   

The site also led to a brand-new type of career: the YouTuber. These content creators specialize in many topics. Some make helpful tutorials. These include how to bake a cake or play guitar. Other YouTubers have created new forms of entertainment. Back in 2005, it was unheard of for millions of people to watch someone play a video game or clean their room. 

YouTubers earn money when you watch the ads that play before and during videos. Companies might also pay popular YouTubers to promote products in their videos. 

No YouTuber has been more successful than Jimmy Donaldson. He’s better known as MrBeast. He records wacky stunts, challenges, and giveaways. These videos have earned him more than 350 million subscribers on his main YouTube channel. His YouTube success has helped MrBeast start other businesses. Altogether, MrBeast says he takes in up to $700 million per year.

Still Growing

Twenty years ago, few people could have imagined how big YouTube would get. From October 2023 to September 2024, the site had more than $50 billion in revenue. And YouTube shows no signs of slowing down, with users uploading 500 hours of content every minute.

“People will continue to post videos, from hit songs and funny clips to how-tos and news,” says Berger. “And people from all over the world will keep finding them useful.”

Twenty years ago, few people could have imagined how big YouTube would get. From October 2023 to September 2024, the site had more than $50 billion in revenue. And YouTube shows no signs of slowing down. Users upload 500 hours of content every minute.

“People will continue to post videos, from hit songs and funny clips to how-tos 

and news,” says Berger. “And people from all over the world will keep finding them useful.” 

How YouTube Keeps You Watching

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Every time you see an ad on YouTube, the site makes money. And the more videos you watch, the more ads you’re likely to see. To keep you on the site, YouTube relies on algorithms to show you content it thinks you will like. Algorithms are sets of rules that apps and websites use to determine what to show each user.

“The purpose of the algorithm is to keep you engaged,” says Laura Ordoñez. She’s an expert on kids’ technology use at an organization called Common Sense Media. “Sometimes you can forget how long you’ve been watching.” 

To avoid nonstop viewing, Ordoñez suggests setting time limits. You can also turn off the autoplay feature, which automatically starts a new video after one ends. 

Every time you see an ad on YouTube, the site makes money. And the more videos you watch, the more ads you’re likely to see. To keep you on the site, YouTube relies on algorithms to show you content it thinks you will like. Algorithms are sets of rules that apps and websites use to determine what to show each user.

“The purpose of the algorithm is to keep you engaged,” says Laura Ordoñez. She’s an expert on kids’ technology use at an organization called Common Sense Media. “Sometimes you can forget how long you’ve been watching.” 

To avoid nonstop viewing, Ordoñez suggests setting time limits. You can also turn off the autoplay feature, which automatically starts a new video after one ends. 

1. What was the original idea for YouTube? How did the platform change over time?

2. Based on the article, what do you think the word specialize means? What clues in the text help you infer this meaning?

3. According to the article, how do YouTubers make money?

1. What was the original idea for YouTube? How did the platform change over time?

2. Based on the article, what do you think the word specialize means? What clues in the text help you infer this meaning?

3. According to the article, how do YouTubers make money?

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