I think there are a few strata of types of content that make up YouTubes base. The most viewed layer which seems to be what you're talking about seems to consis

I think there are a few strata of types of content that make up YouTubes base. The most viewed layer which seems to be what you're talking about seems to consist of short, outrageous or viral clips that people share all over social media. Then there is a layer of more organic content that makes up the other big chunk of time people spend on the platform. The channels are smaller but the engagement is orders of magnitude higher. It's similar to reddit and a lot of other platforms that have a clickbait viral layer that they're monetizing through ads and placement and then the actually valuable content that is hard to monetize but makes up the core engagement of the site. It's a good example of how monetization is deeply broken since it prioritizes the garbage over the quality material.