The Unanswered Question: What Does YouTube Thumbs Down Button Do – Nothing
YouTube has a feature which allows its users to “thumb up” or “thumb down” a video or comment. But the question is, what does the “thumbs down” button actually do?
The short answer is, effectively, nothing. Despite the fact that YouTube has provided the thumbs down button for many years, the company has failed to give an explanation as to what the button is actually used for.
Thumbs Down Little Known Facts
- The thumbs down button has been on the YouTube platform since 2012.
- More people tend to use the thumbs up button compared to thumbs down.
- The thumbs down button does not notify creators in any way.
- The only purpose of the thumbs down button is to form an opinion.
Despite the fact that the only purpose of the thumbs down button is to provide a user’s opinion, people still often ask what the button actually does. The answer is still a surprise to many – nothing!
So What’s The Point of The Button?
If the thumbs down button doesn’t really do anything, you may be wondering why it even exists. YouTube has never directly stated why the button was included, but it is believed to do with terms and conditions and giving YouTube users the ability to ‘Flag’ videos they find inappropriate.
What we do know is that the thumbs down button does not affect the video’s ranking or recommendations. This means that even if your video gets a large amount of thumbs down, it will not affect your view count.
Conclusion
The bottom line is that the YouTube “thumbs down” button does nothing other than allow users to make their opinions clear. This means that it should not be taken too seriously.
It is important to remember that although the thumbs down button may seem pointless, it does not mean that it can’t be used as an indication of how your video is being received. As we have discovered, the thumbs down button primarily exists to let people make their opinion known. Understanding what this opinion is can help you make improvements to your channel.
Yes, most YouTube users are aware of the Thumbs Down button. It is one of the most widely used features on the popular platform, allowing users to quickly and easily indicate that they are not enjoying a particular video. Youtube also provides an indicator in the top right of the video displaying the number of Thumbs Up and Thumbs Down votes that a video has received, making it even more visible to users.
The primary purpose of the YouTube Thumbs Down button is to provide feedback to the creators of videos and let them know what viewers don’t like about particular videos. This feedback helps the creators adjust their approach and make better videos in the future. It can also influence the YouTube algorithm to recommend other videos similar to the ones viewers are giving Thumbs Down.
When a user clicks the YouTube Thumbs Down button, the YouTube algorithm responds accordingly to that user’s preference. This results in the user being served related content that the algorithm has deemed to be of lower quality or relevance, in comparison to the content that would be served if the user had clicked the Thumbs Up button.
As a result, the user is likely to spend a shorter amount of time on YouTube, as the system is actively limiting the content that a user may be interested in viewing. It can also act as a form of self-censorship, as users may be hesitant to click the Thumbs Down button, which may lead them to simply not watch the video they are presented with. This could lead to a decrease in viewership and potential further decrease the overall content diversity on YouTube.
