Precisely this.

I go to YouTube, see a whole lot of nothing, and then I promptly leave. It's an interest desert.

I always read and hear of YouTube being lauded for its recommendations, but to me it has always been the weakest video content site and social network. It doesn't do either job particularly well, at least not in a way that engages me for long.

I like science and geopolitical content, but the typical YouTuber treatment tends to pale in comparison to stuff you'd read.

From my perspective, HBO and TikTok win long and short form video respectively, whereas Twitter, HN, and Reddit win 1:n and n:m social.