Dr. Devrim VardarPersonal Website

My problem with YouTube started when I saw disturbing and inappropriate content mixed in with children's videos, creating an unsafe and uncontrolled environment. We're not the only parents in the world allowing our children to watch YouTube, because it's actually a massive library and a great search engine. There are channels and brands creating perfect content for kids, even achieving unicorn status for it. It's possible to create great content and make money. It's natural for viewers to follow and support the creators and channels they like.

But just like we don't pick the first book we find in a library to read, watching YouTube mindlessly isn't healthy or meaningful. With years-worth of new content added every day, it's easy to get lost in endless viewing. That's where algorithms come in to help manage and list content. However, these algorithms naturally prioritize videos that have the highest chance of going viral and making money, rather than what individuals might genuinely want to watch.

Another solution could be allowing users to filter and sort channels based on their preferences. But that's not fully integrated into YouTube's features. It seems like it is, but it's not. This is because such a service wouldn't prioritize videos that appeal to everyone or have the potential to go viral for monetization. Large operations prioritize profitability.

So, whether we like it or not, the system is built around watching things we didn't necessarily want to watch, or instead of "boring" videos we might like, we end up watching something else. This is a time-waster for adults and a problem for children.

YouTube released a "Kids" app claiming to create a safe space/library for children, but it's not available in many countries, and parents don't have the option to easily select content creators for their kids to watch. There may be various reasons for this, but the outcome remains the same. Parents have limited choices because the problem isn't YouTube itself.

As someone who just old enough to make it to the times people were watching black and white TVs, I appreciate the value of YouTube. So, I want to get the most out of YouTube by focusing on what I need from it.

Sometimes, while taking a break from work and having a sandwich, I want to see what content creators I follow have shared lately. This usually involves many clicks. It should be easier, but YouTube won't do it, it is not their main focus. And we know they they keep their APIs open to allow these kinds of improvements.

That's why I created Playtoob. The concept is simple: I choose the channels I want to watch and select the viewing model. It's that easy. I watch their latest, most-watched, or most-liked videos. But they're regular videos, not the quick consumption content produced to create dependency and currently being pushed by all global apps.

So, I'm watching videos that content creators have put effort into and can continue to generate income from, allowing them to keep making great videos.

I created Playtoob to make this process easier. I hope you like it too. I announced the first version on Y-Combinator's HackerNews a month or two ago. Within a couple of days, it received over 20,000 visits, dozens of positive comments, and gained over 200 members. However, trying to continue for free won't benefit anyone. So, based on feedback, I made some adjustments to the app and added a very small subscription fee of around $3 per month.

Playtoob is a paid YouTube companion, a YouTube player.

And right now, despite having only basic features, it's the only app that does what I've described.