Like it's always been shit, but at least it has some resemblance to the content I watch. But now I'm getting recommendations for videos with like 60-400 views from random channels of people who forget they opened up their cameras. Or sometimes it's some old lady speaking a foreign language about who knows what. Or it's some kid recording their friends during PE class. Or it's some vlog from a guy in Idaho going camping.
youtube actually does pretty well for my recommendations except every now and then it will notice i watch a few retro gaming channels and try a whole bunch of small crappy retro gaming channels out thinking i'll like them.
i watch the ones i watch because i already like them. i think i have got a channel or two i actually ended up liking but youtube doesn't have a way to fix on the vibe of the channels i like instead of the broad subject. just because i keep up on Jeremy Parish doesn't mean i want to watch fucking top hat gaming man, his channel is utter shit. get the fuck outta here.
iirc long culture/media video essay channels were even worse, not so bad as i haven't watched much of that for years. but youtube definitely thought for a while that if you watch an hbomberguy video than you are DEFINITELY going to want to watch every quinton reviews 9 hour video about nickelodeon sitcoms from the aughts.
edit: the worst thing about the front page algorithm is that it just doesn't give up on showing you mostly the same videos. like if i saw it 5 times and never clicked on it just get it out of here
edit2: out of cultural sensitivity i should not have said top hat gaming man is utter shit. i should have said he's "a bit crap"