Damien Wilde / Android Authority
summary
A Reddit user revealed that YouTube is now handing out smaller plaques to creators who hit subscriber milestones. The smaller size is presumably a response to the increasing number of creators hitting milestones due to the popularity of YouTube Shorts. Reactions on Reddit were mixed, with some users seeing the change as practical, while others felt the smaller plaques didn’t adequately reflect the magnitude of the achievement.
One of the most amazing non-monetary perks of running a successful YouTube channel is receiving a YouTube Creator Award when you hit a key subscriber milestone. Also known as the YouTube play button, this shiny metal shield is highly revered in the YouTube community because it represents all the hard work and dedication a creator has put into growing their channel.
However, Reddit user Meroyma recently shed light on just how different the new award looks. In her post, she points out that the size of the shield awarded for reaching 1 million subscribers has been significantly reduced. To highlight the difference in size, she also shared a photo comparing the previous larger shield to the new, smaller version, and as expected, this new form of shrinkflation has sparked a lot of comments.
The Reddit user who made the post seems to think it’s a response to the increased number of creators eligible for the YouTube Creator Awards, thanks to the growing popularity of YouTube Shorts. This new form of video content allows creators to post more videos, which in turn allows them to quickly increase their subscriber numbers. Since it’s hard to tell whether a creator increased their subscriber numbers through long-form or short videos, it seems the platform is scaling back the awards to accommodate the increasing number of creators hitting the milestone. It’s worth noting that YouTube has updated the YouTube Creator page to say that the new awards will be lighter, but the quality and design will remain the same.
On Reddit, at least, the move has sparked mixed reactions. Some users believe the change is natural, given that it’s much more common for creators to hit 1 million subscribers now than it was over a decade ago, while others feel the new shield is too small to adequately reflect the magnitude of the achievement. What do you think? Do you know anyone who received the new, smaller shield? Let us know below.
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