Pexels/photo by Polina Tankilevitch
Across social media platforms, YouTube in particular, multiple animator channels are being demonetized, no longer able to earn money from a channel or specific video, by YouTube moderation. Moderators are people chosen to maintain safe comment sections and safe live chats, although the process of demonetizing videos and channels appears to be handled mostly by AI systems. While some creators are getting their channels monetized again, everyone is not receiving the same treatment, and some creators have lost revenue.
When I opened my YouTube account, I was dumbfounded to discover that two of the animators I subscribe to posted videos about being demonetized. I haven’t exclusively tried animation, but I’ve always liked it and other arts so seeing something like this motivated me to look further into the situation. I thought: What possible reason is there for these people to lose their monetization? Some have been flagged for reused content or as a misleading family content channel. The list of reasons for these human animators being flagged goes on.
Two stop-motion animators, Peter Heacock and Marie Hart, run Tiny Grandma and, following the pattern, were demonetized by YouTube moderation for “content that appears mass-produced or repetitive to increase views without adding significant educational or any other value.” They submitted an appeal — stop-motion is so hands on — and YouTube reversed its decision. But, as I noted, not all creators’ appeals are being treated that same way. Another stop-motion and digital animation channel, run by EraserDead, was completely removed from YouTube in January. Along with that, two other channels linked to his account were removed as well, and despite his many appeals, he’s been unsuccessful in bringing them back.
On YouTube, @Sofosmochos and @SierraArtS were both demonetized within the same month. I watched their videos explaining this, and one of the things they spoke about was the responses to their appeals. They were repetitive, the standard response, as if written by AI. I then took the liberty of watching a few more videos, given posting these explanation videos seems to be the best and most effective way of spreading awareness. And on one account, YouTube responded in the comments claiming they’d take another look at the situation. Finally, maybe they had reached a real human. But just a few days ago, another video was posted by @Sofosmochos explaining how, in the end, they had only reached another AI response after the strenuous process these two went through.
@TierlistMan39 talks about being demonetized for misleading family content, how he consistently labels his content honestly (his audience isn’t primarily kids and teenagers), and that his videos were never meant for kids, who only make up a small sector of it. Anyone can tell from simply watching the video that he was wrongfully demonetized. I also watched a video posted by @Codenamesuper, who was also flagged for misleading family content. Again, like @TierlistMan39, he routinely labels his content as “not for kids”; having animation in his video does not mean his content is for kids. Four appeals later, YouTube still falsely labeled his content. It was only a few days after posting his video that his channel was finally monetized again.
Countless creators on YouTube are getting falsely demonetized and receiving automated responses to their appeals. Kelsey Animated, Yoontunes, Honobread, Ringo Tsuga, and so many others have been demonetized by YouTube’s moderation, powered by AI. You don’t need to be subscribed to these channels or even know of their existence to know this mass demonetization on YouTube is out of line. All these content creators and animators are vulnerable to demonetization at any time, and it’s important that we try our best to help by supporting the videos these people make and by spreading awareness of the problem.
Meanwhile, Back to School and Fall Fun
This is the first month of school; fall is right around the corner. Over the summer, high schoolers read “Solito,” the summer-reading book chosen for us. It’s now being discussed. I’ve heard mixed reviews: Some people love the book, some think the details are repetitive, and others say the details help them to imagine the scenes better.
Sports have already started and many teams have already had their first meets and competitions. A new principal, Dr. Crystal Chandler, was introduced to the school district, and many fun events, some yearly and some not, are on the calendar for the end of summer and this fall. Clubs are beginning to start, honor societies are gathering, and everyone is getting used to their classes. College representatives will be visiting NHS at lunchtime throughout October and November offering brochures and answering student questions.
These events are happening soon. The Spirit of SoBro Street Party is on October 2, from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., and, for the fifth year, will feature various vendors, live music, and performances. This downtown event is bound to be outstandingly fun. Then, on October 17, Nyack’s first roller skating pop-up event is happening. The Dip will be held at the Nyack Marina and will feature food trucks, roller skating, and talented DJs. And, of course for Halloween, our 37th Annual Halloween Parade will be held on October 24!
Sasha Weintraub is a sophomore at Nyack High School who likes writing, art, and music.