Einar

So was 7.

The above.

My circle of family, friends and others will extend the list to music videos, health care (mental health and wellness, for example), the shorts, movie trailers, even Hallmark movies.

There is no platform other than YouTube that combines all this crazy amount of content.

There’s PeerTube with notoriously difficult onboarding for the average user and limited content, there’s Loops with extremely limited content… I really wish it were different.

Maybe one day existing platforms will rise. Looking at you, VIMEO, Kick, DailyMotion, DTube…

Fine. Name alternatives for what YouTube is mostly used for and I’ll be the first to take your advise.

We are talking vlogs on huge amounts of topics, product reviews and unboxings, reaction videos, how-to tutorials, gaming videos (walkthroughs, live streams, etc.), ASMR and relaxation content, educational and explainer videos for science, history and finance… and so on.

There’s simply no true alternative.

Even just a top bar would be great.

How could the taskbar regress so badly?

Literally one of the reasons Windows boots so rarely on my devices.

Two on F-Droid I enjoy (there’s lots more):

• mucke
• Symphony (not sure if it’s still developed but it’s a great app)

IMO, pop culture can be a great icebreaker, but it’s definitely not essential for building meaningful friendships. I’ve formed friendships with people even when we had no shared (pop) references whatsoever.

In my experience, learning about someone else’s (pop culture or other) interests can be a meaningful way to get to know them better.

At the end of the day, it’s not about which movies someone likes, but the substance of your conversations: empathy, shared experiences, and the trust that comes from opening up, for example.

Just be curious, open, and supportive. The rest will follow.

And hey, your favorite movies will come up eventually. Who knows, you might end up watching something new together.