For years, YouTube was the place where internet stars were born. From about 2014 to 2018, it hit its peak. Creators like MMG, the Paul brothers, and Roman Atwood kept millions of fans glued to their screens. Gamers like Ninja, Tfue, Myth, and Daequan made Fortnite one of the most watched games in history. Groups like Dude Perfect amazed people with unreal trick shots. The FaZe Clan built a whole empire around Call of Duty, trick shots, and pop culture. That time felt like YouTube’s golden age.
During these years, YouTube wasn’t just a website, it was a community. Fans could follow the daily beef of Logan Paul and Jake Paul’s vlogs, or watch Roman Atwood prank his family or turn his whole house into a fun land. MMG turned playing Madden into a career, while Ninja and Tfue became household names through their Fortnite streams. FaZe Clan’s videos were more than gaming, they were about friendship, lifestyle, and living the dream. Dude Perfect was proving you could make millions just by sinking basketball shots from the roof of a stadium.
Now, things are different. YouTube is being taken over by other platforms like Twitch and TikTok. Instead of watching long vlogs or creative videos, many people scroll through 30-second clips or watch random live streams. Even YouTube itself is focusing more on Shorts, which are like TikToks. That means the creative videos we loved are now overshadowed by brain-rot clips
New streamers are rising, like IShowSpeed, who’s famous for his over the top reactions, or Kai Cenat, who dominates clip farming. These creators rack up millions of views, but the content feels different.
Even creators have noticed the change. Ninja spends more time on Twitch. Tfue, Myth, and Daequan aren’t racking in nearly the same amount of views as they used too. The Paul brothers moved into boxing and wrestling. And FaZe Clan went from gaming legends to a bunch of 30 year olds struggling to stay relevant.
YouTube is still massive, and stars like Speed and Kai Cenat show people will always blow up online. But I wonder if we’ll ever get back the fun of 2014–2018, when Logan and Jake were villains, FaZe was on top, and Ninja and Tfue ruled Fortnite. Maybe that golden age is just over. Or am I’m getting older, looking back on it with nostalgia, because maybe I’ve just grown up.
