Not parent. The few YT channels that I know of and that produce worthwhile stuff are either unmonetized or can be supported via merch or directly, so no harm done blocking ads.
Especially now that there's ads even on videos by unmonetized channels and YTers who do and share shit because they authentically enjoy it. You know, those that made the site worthwhile in the first place in 200x.
And the mind-crushing amount of clickbait and spam by "professional content creators"? Well, that can go the way of the dodo.
A lot of creators have multiple revenue streams that one can support (merch, patreon, affiliate links). Not watching youtube ads does not have to mean you are hurting creators.
Not watching YouTube ads means they get less money. Yes, there are still alternatives for them to eek out some revenue, but they are making less than if you just watched the ad or got YT premium
This is anecdotal, but it seems like most career youtube creators are only relying on youtube ad revenue for a small portion of their total income. Video claims and unreliable monetization have long plagued youtube so it makes sense for creators to look to things like brand deals and patreon for the majority of their income. I’d much rather not watch ads and then compensate for it by supporting them through some other means.
