I promise, this video is only 9 minutes long

Ironically, this is another video that has terrible SEO.

I am so sorry about the auto-focus issues. I cut around it as much as I could but I don't know what was happening. It's my first time recording with this camera and clearly I still need to work with it! I swear it doesn't do this when I livestream!

This video is about YouTube, Tiktok, Facebook, Twitter - any social media with an algorithm that controls what content gets seen (which is all of them). It's about why long videos are so popular on YT right now, and why they might not always be - especially at YouTube tries to take on Tiktok's short video throne. It's also about burn out, compromise, superstition, supression, algospeak, and more.

More than all that, it's about me struggling to compromise with the algorithm when I think the algorithm is essentially terrible. Like most systems, it has its upsides and downs - I mean, it's how anything gets found on YouTube! But I still get annoyed with how much control it has, and how much energy I have to spend satisfying it when I would much rather be researching and making videos. Then again, I chose the life of a content creator! So I'm the fool after all!

[francisb.]

Finally, an hour long video essay that doesn't make me feel that I've exhausted all my energy for the day

[kylegies]

Nearly died just now. Forgot I had this running in the background, wearing noise-cancelling headphones, when suddenly Jenna's very polite "Thank you, " came out of no where. I screamed like Homer Simpson.
10/10. Would happily skyrocket my heartrate a second time watching a 9 minute long 2-hour video.

[boxwithahat]

"I like to use tea leaves because they're biodegradable, but any divination that you want to use is gonna be just as useful". That line is golden, and the delivery is outright **platinum**

[fmbray_]

I've only made it through the first 10 minutes of the video and I need to go to bed, but I can't wait to see what else Jenna has to say in the remaining 49 minutes tomorrow!

[alicehodges]

I clicked on "I promise this video is only 9 minute long" for precisely the reason Jenna said, the contradiction was too enticing to me! Furthermore, as a big big fan of video essays, esp. long ones, the length was perfect for my bedtime ritual of pulling up an essay and playing a couple games of tetris

[Cuttlefisher]

Jesus I didn't even realise Polygon had punted Jenna in the first place given how much their output had slowed down in general, and this was also the first I've seen of her own channel. Love her content and wish her the best going forward!

[welshh]

By far one of the best long-form video essays I've ever listened to. I've already watched it 8 times, and I swear I see something new with every viewing. Especially like the part around 48:03.

[lemmingyellow]

I also am a fan of video essays and have never seen Jenna in my reccs before this one. And I absolutely wanted to know how you made a 9 minute video into a 59 minute video. Honestly if the title hadn't been "this is 9 minutes, promise" I wouldn't have clicked on it.

[TysonSteele-Matanuki]

It feels genuinely insane that despite heavily engaging with Polygon's videos and other creators in your sphere for YEARS, this video is the first one that suggested to me. I didn't even know you had your own channel.

[silkshines]

Notable: I'm a fan of Jenna but had not yet subscribed and this is the first of Jenna's independent videos to show up on my Home recommendations. I watch a lot of long video essays so I Do think the perceived length of the video helped push it to me.

[ryleeshepherd]

I've been bamboozled and this video is amazing! I often watch the long form essay videos, I think what they have to say about a certain topic or piece of media can justify the length for me, they tend to add some history or extra context or offer different perspectives. But as someone who struggles to stay focused or engaged after a while I tend to pause the video and come back to them another time. My watch later playlist is full of these videos.

[ImWeirdAndILikeIt]

I completely forgot Jenna was no longer at polygon so I too was delighted to see her appear in my recommendations. All this meta talk about the ~algorithm~ really makes me look forward to any future scientific studies on how these things can have a serious effect on entire cultures

[TheLifeOfTroy]

Like others, I came because of the title "I promise, this video is only 9 minutes long" and seeing the video was actually 59 minutes. This is the first of your independent videos I've seen and I'm excited to see more!

[KumoKumiko]

the "this video is only 9 minutes long" title vs. 59 minute timeline dichotomy definitely caught my attention, but then I realized I recognized you from your work at Polygon! So glad I found your own personal channel, and I'll be happy to play along with this little experiment and support the channel in the future

[curtismcallister]

the random "most replayed" bump around 35 in minutes is a funny feedback loop. a few people early on skipped ahead to see if it's really an empty shot the whole time. and now i have this temptation to also skip ahead to the same spot and contribute to an empty hot spot... to tempt yet more future viewers to skip ahead to the same spot

[ajfillari]

Wow! What a wonderful, entire hour of content! Keep up the great work, Jenna!

[Tobascodagama]

I clicked on the "I promise, this video is only 9 minutes long" one. But I didn't click because of the title, I clicked because I have a Pavlovian response to seeing a new Jenna Stoeber video.

[bobbaggins]

this landed on my front page. the algorithm found me. I 100% watch hour long essays. I'm so excited to watch more content from Jenna!

[GiantButterKnife]

I really hope this strategy works out, partly because I liked your work on Polygon and I'd like to see you succeed independently, but also because I think it would be funny for this to go on as a successful strategy for up and coming content creators.

[AdmiralKat_]

Left this running in a window in the background and completely forgot about it. The thank you at the end nearly scared the life out of me :p