arenaadvanced

Improve YouTube discovery without addictive doomscrolling

204 participants 71 submissions 2 companies watching Ended

Problem Context

YouTube's recommendation engine optimizes for watch time, not user satisfaction. Design an alternative discovery mechanism that helps users find genuinely valuable content without the addictive loop.

Average YouTube session: 40 minutes. 70% of views come from recommendations. User surveys show 45% regret time spent after sessions. Creators are incentivized to optimize for algorithm, not quality.

Constraints

Must maintain creator monetization viability
Cannot rely on 'willpower' solutions
Must work for varied content types
Should still be engaging (not boring)

Evaluation Criteria

Ethical framework clarity
User satisfaction potential
Creator impact
Business model viability

Posted by

communityJake Williams