YouTube, which changed the course of internet history, has completed its 21st year in a rapidly transforming and developing world of technology.
The platform was founded on February 14, 2005, by three former PayPal employees, Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim, in a humble garage.
The first video was uploaded by Karim approximately two months after the platform, which set out with the slogan "Broadcast Yourself," was established. This 19-second video, titled "Me at the zoo," uploaded on April 23, 2005, is considered "the internet's first digital cult."
In the intervening period, YouTube not only fundamentally changed video watching habits but also the advertising, education, politics, and entertainment industries. Today, with over 20 billion pieces of content, it has solidified its position at the pinnacle of digital publishing.
YouTube's popularity gained momentum with its integration into mobile devices in 2007.
Expanding its user base with the spread of smartphones and tablets, the platform created a new economy in the 2010s by offering content creators the opportunity to earn advertising revenue. Thus, content creation turned into a "full-time job" for many.
The platform's subscription service "YouTube Premium," which includes ad-free viewing and music services, was offered to users on May 17, 2018.
Today, YouTube, which is pivoting towards generative artificial intelligence, has opened the doors to a new era where content creators can prepare videos with text commands and where boundaries are removed with instantaneous language translations.
