Educational YouTubers Balance Integrity and Income in the Age of Algorithms
YouTube has become one of the world’s largest “classrooms”, but the creators behind these educational videos face challenges while balancing quality teaching with making a living. A new study from Boston University, the University of Chicago, and the University of Michigan titled, “Playing 'Google's Game': How Educational YouTubers Manage Tensions Between Education and Monetization | Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction,” and published in the Association for Computing Machinery, examines how “EduTubers” navigate the pressures of platform algorithms and monetization while maintaining their commitment to educating others.
The research, led by Tess Eschebach of the University of Chicago and published in the Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, draws on interviews with 12 popular U.S.-based educational YouTubers. The study finds that while creators are intrinsically motivated to share free, high-quality educational content, they must continually adapt to YouTube’s algorithms and business models to sustain their work.
“The reason they're doing this work is because they are passionate about the content that they're trying to make videos about, and want to share their knowledge about something, ” says Allison McDonald, assistant professor at Boston University and co-author of the study. “A lot of the videos that they're competing against are video game playthroughs and other high-visual, high-action, clickbaity content. And a lot of them felt that this was difficult to balance with their desire to make really high-quality, like truthful educational content, while also getting Google's algorithm to put them at the top of the page.”
The study revealed that:
- Most creators rely on a mix of revenue streams such as ads, sponsorships, and viewer support, but avoid overly commercial tactics that could undermine their viewers’ trust.
- Many educational creators avoid or carefully tailor “clickbait” and sponsorships to protect their educational integrity.
- The majority report frustration with limited pay, algorithmic uncertainty, and a lack of recognition for their role as informal educators.
By comparing today’s educational YouTubers to the early days of U.S. public broadcasting, the researchers highlight a recurring pattern: educational creators are filling public learning gaps while simultaneously struggling to find sustainable funding to keep doing so.
The authors recommend stronger institutional and platform support for educational creators, such as grants, improved ad transparency, and better integration with classroom use.
-- Shriya Jonnalagadda (CDS'28), Data Science Research Communications Intern