beta

Older channels become less dependent on algorithmic recommendations.

inconclusive

the sample is too thin to read

Held 24 days · Never changed on record

inconclusive on 3 of 4 pooled public channels

What the check does

Across the shared pool. For each channel, the share of views over its most recent 28 covered days that arrived from sources the viewer did not choose — Browse, Suggested, Search, hashtags, Shorts, ads — set against the channel's age in days. The complement (direct, external links, playlists, end screens, the channel page, notifications) is where the viewer came back on their own, the same split the public database already uses. Pearson correlation across channels; agrees at r <= -0.4, disagrees at r >= 0.4.

The reading

correlation-0.06

Checked on 8 channels ·

How the verdict has moved

  1. Aug 24, 2026 – Sep 14, 2026inconclusive
  2. Aug 22, 2026 – Aug 23, 2026inconclusive

Where the belief comes from

Maturation-creator folklore.

Checked against

Every figure on this page is checked against the shared pool, through Sep 14, 2026. The tally above reads 4 pooled public channels’ files.

Keep reading

The rest of the record

This belief sits in a ledger of fifty, each one re-checked every day. These surfaces carry the rest of it.