YouTube is a website that allows users to upload and share videos. It was launched in 2005 by three former PayPal employees, Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim. The website quickly became popular, and in November 2006, YouTube was sold to Google for $1.65 billion.
YouTube allows users to upload and share a wide variety of videos, including music videos, movie trailers, home videos, and much more. The website also allows users to create their own channels and upload videos to them, which can be viewed by others. The platform's popularity has grown rapidly over the years, and today, it is the second most popular website in the world, after Google.
The first video ever uploaded to YouTube was titled "Me at the zoo" and was uploaded by Jawed Karim, one of the co-founders of the website. The video shows Karim standing in front of the elephants at the San Diego Zoo. As of 2021, it has over 90 million views.
In recent years, YouTube has also become an important platform for creators to monetize their content through advertising, sponsorships, and merchandise sales. Many YouTubers have been able to turn their hobby into a full-time career, creating content that ranges from comedic skits to educational videos.
However, YouTube has also been criticized for hosting controversial and offensive content, as well as for spreading misinformation. The company has implemented policies to address these issues, but the problem persists.