It’s 2025 now, and people still get into these big debates online about what exactly YouTube is. You hear it all the time, this question, is YouTube considered social media? Some folks, they’re pretty sure it is. Other people, they think it’s more like a place to just watch videos, almost like a TV station, but for the internet. It’s a tricky one to pin down, you know, because it’s got bits of both, and the whole internet world just keeps changing, all the time.

What really makes something “social media” anyway? That’s sort of the start of the confusion, what does that even mean? Generally, you think about sharing stuff, right? And then you comment, and you connect with other people, a lot of people. It’s about building little communities. That’s how we usually talk about these things.

And YouTube, well, it definitely lets you share things. You put up your videos, whatever they are, your thoughts, your projects, or maybe just a cat doing something silly. Then others, they see it. And they can totally, like, tell you what they think about it, which is a pretty big part of the deal for sharing.

Is YouTube Really Social? Looking at the Stuff We Do There

Think about what people actually do on YouTube, typically speaking. It’s not just watching and moving on. There’s a whole lot of chatting that happens. People leave comments under videos, sometimes thousands of them. They talk to each other, argue a bit, or make jokes. This back-and-forth, it certainly seems a lot like what goes on on other sites.

Also, creators, the ones making all the videos, they often have a community tab now. They can post polls there, share updates, or ask questions directly to their viewers. It’s a way to keep everyone in the loop, you know, and to actually have a direct conversation with the audience they’ve built up around their work.

Then there’s the whole subscription thing. You subscribe to channels you like. This means you want to see more from those particular creators. It creates a connection, like following someone on a different kind of platform. You’re not just a random viewer; you’re part of their little group. It’s not so different from friending someone.

And the live streams, those are a massive part of YouTube these days. During a live video, people are typing comments in real-time, sending Super Chats, and interacting with the person streaming. The creator often responds right there, in the moment. That’s pretty much social interaction right there, if you ask most people.

You also have the ability to “like” or “dislike” videos. These reactions, they tell the creator something, and they also tell other viewers what’s popular or what’s not so well-received. It’s a form of non-verbal communication, a quick way to show your feelings about the content you just saw.

People even make videos about other videos. It’s called reaction content or response videos. This is like a very public conversation, where one person’s content sparks another person’s content. It really does create a sort of chain of communication, kind of like people responding to posts on a forum, but with video.

Why Some People Say YouTube Isn’t Quite Social Media

Now, on the other side of things, some folks argue that YouTube isn’t, strictly speaking, social media. They point out that the main purpose, what it’s generally built for, is content consumption. You go there to watch things, not necessarily to scroll through a feed of what your friends are doing or saying.

When you open YouTube, normally, it suggests videos based on what you’ve watched before. It’s not showing you posts from your “friends” in chronological order. It’s more about the content itself, the actual videos, being the star. This is a bit different from how Facebook or Instagram generally operates, which is more person-centric.

Also, building a personal network, like adding friends or followers who are specifically your friends in real life, it’s not the primary setup. You subscribe to channels because of their content, not because you know the person personally. It’s a more one-way relationship, often, than on a site meant for connecting individuals.

The profiles themselves are different too. A YouTube channel page is mostly about the videos a creator has uploaded, not a personal stream of daily thoughts or photos. While you can post updates, the focus always seems to revert back to the video output. That’s a different vibe, people say.

Think about how you typically get news or updates from your real-world connections. You don’t generally go to YouTube for that. You might see a news clip, sure, but not your buddy’s holiday photos. YouTube is not really built for that immediate, personal, friend-to-friend sort of sharing that’s common elsewhere.

Some might even say it’s more like a publishing platform, a bit like a free internet TV network, where anyone can be a broadcaster. You make your shows, put them out there, and people tune in. The social bits are there, yes, but they are sort of an addition, not the very core foundation of the service.

The algorithms on YouTube, they’re designed to keep you watching videos, to recommend the next thing you might like. They’re not generally set up to strengthen your personal connections with individuals you know outside the platform. It’s about content discovery more than social discovery.

The Hybrid Nature of YouTube in 2025

So, where does that leave us in 2025 with this question of, is YouTube considered social media? It really seems like it’s a bit of both, a kind of hybrid. It started, probably, more on the “video platform” side. But over time, it’s just picked up so many social characteristics, you just can’t ignore them.

It has the user-generated content, which is a hallmark of social media. Anyone can upload a video, anyone can become a creator. It’s not just big studios. This open-door policy for content creation is pretty much standard for social apps. That sharing aspect, it’s right there at its core now.

The sense of community around channels is undeniable. Fans often feel a real connection to their favorite creators and to each other in the comments sections. These are real, if often temporary, social groups forming around shared interests. That is a social aspect, really.

With things like YouTube Shorts, which are short, vertical videos that are incredibly popular, it’s trying even harder to compete with platforms like TikTok. Shorts are designed for quick consumption and sharing, and they often lead to viral trends, which is a super social thing to happen.

The way creators directly interact with their followers through Q&A sessions, polls, and community posts, these are all moves toward being more overtly “social.” They are actively building and maintaining relationships, not just broadcasting into the void. This makes it hard to argue against the “social” label.

It’s almost like YouTube realized that just being a video library wasn’t quite enough in today’s fast-moving internet world. It needed to add layers where people could talk, connect, and react in more immediate ways. So, it bolted on all these social functions, and they’ve actually stuck pretty well.

This means the old lines, they’ve gotten really blurry. The definition of what counts as “social media” itself is perhaps expanding. What was true ten years ago about these sites, it’s not necessarily the same today. YouTube has adapted, and it continues to add more social features.

Why the Definition Matters (or Maybe Doesn’t That Much)

For the regular user, whether is YouTube considered social media or not, it might not seem like a big deal. You go there, you watch videos, you comment sometimes. You just use it for what you want to use it for. The label doesn’t change your experience a whole lot. But for others, it can be pretty important.

For advertisers, for instance, understanding what YouTube is can change how they spend their money. If it’s social media, it suggests a certain kind of user engagement and potential for viral reach. If it’s just a video site, they might think differently about their approach. So, the definition actually means something to businesses.

For content creators, thinking of YouTube as social media probably changes their strategy. They know they need to build a community, engage with comments, and maybe even use those community posts. It’s not just about making a good video, it’s about making a good connection with the viewers.

Researchers studying internet trends or youth behavior, they need clear definitions. If they’re looking at social media usage, they need to know if YouTube should be included in their data. It can affect how they talk about online habits and trends. So, for them, precision really helps.

Also, for policymakers and regulators, these labels matter. Different rules might apply to “social media platforms” compared to general “content sites.” Privacy rules, content moderation rules, things like that. So, the government agencies, they really want to know what category it falls into.

The whole thing points to how the internet, as a whole, is becoming more blended. Sites often start with one main purpose, but then they borrow ideas from other successful sites. So, a video site gets social features, and a social site gets video features. It all sort of melts together.

So, in 2025, the most accurate way to describe YouTube might be a leading video-sharing platform with strong social media elements. It’s not just one or the other anymore. It occupies this really interesting space where content and connection are almost equally important parts of the whole system.

FAQ About YouTube and Social Media in 2025Q1: Is YouTube generally considered social media by most people now?
A1: Many people these days, they do think of YouTube as social media because of all the ways users can talk to each other, like commenting and sharing. It has many things other social sites do.

Q2: What makes YouTube seem like social media?
A2: Things like comments, live chats, community posts from creators, and the ability to subscribe and build an audience make it feel very social. Users are not just watching, they’re often interacting quite a bit.

Q3: How is YouTube different from a site like Facebook or Instagram?
A3: The main focus on YouTube is usually video content itself, not a personal feed of updates from your friends. While you connect, it’s typically more about channels and videos than individual, personal networking.

Q4: Do the new features on YouTube, like Shorts, change its classification?
A4: Yes, features like Shorts definitely push YouTube more into the social media category. They encourage quick sharing and engagement, which is very similar to how other short-form video social apps work.

Q5: So, is it correct to call YouTube a social media platform?
A5: It’s increasingly okay to call it a social media platform, or at least a platform with significant social media features. It’s a mix, but the social parts are such a big part of it now.