How many cat videos did you watch on YouTube last month? The video site recently released some stats about its users viewing habits, and the numbers are pretty mind-boggling. Every month, we’re collectively watching more than 6 billion hours of video, which is more than twice as much as we were last May. Those 6 billion hours are shared among YouTube’s one billion unique monthly users, meaning that over 15 percent of the earth’s population is logging in each month to check out the latest viral sensations. These numbers go to prove how massive YouTube has become since it launched eight years ago, way back in February 2005. From movie trailers to TV clips, crazy cats to laughing babies, YouTube has become a juggernaut. And as billions more devices are connected to the internet over the next few years, its prominence will continue to grow. It’s hard to imagine the internet before YouTube began, and it’s anyone’s guess what site we’ll be talking about eight years from now.
About Shelly Palmer
Shelly Palmer is the Professor of Advanced Media in Residence at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and CEO of The Palmer Group, a consulting practice that helps Fortune 500 companies with AI strategy, implementation and governance, as well as technology, media and marketing. Named one of LinkedIn’s Top Voices in Technology, he is a bestselling author, covers tech and business for Fox 5’s Good Day New York, is a regular commentator on CNN, and writes the popular daily business blog Think About This. Follow @shellypalmer or visit shellypalmer.com.