The thing with YouTube is that there’s a huge audience who just like to watch nice things, and the truth/transparency is secondary. Same with motorbikes, guitars, cameras, I’m sure any other hobby. The majority will watch the videos shot cinematically with the 4k 60fps camera, studio lights, short focal lengths, great colour correction etc, over the guy stating the facts clearly but shooting in his living room with an old smartphone. Of course it’s great when both happen, but entertainment value usually comes first.
Slightly off-topic but in my industry we sometimes reference a principle called ‘The Aesthetic Usability Effect’ which basically says people perceive an experience (in this case design) as better if it looks nicer, even if it’s not technically better.
It’s why James Hoffman has done so well, especially recently. His videos might not be the most useful for those of us wanting an in-depth, honest review of new gear, but they’re usually well shot, informative and quite enjoyable to watch.
I guess similar to the Netflix effect on things. Most of us have watched documentaries on subjects we didn’t think we were interested in because it was been beautifully shot, even if the content is questionable.