YouTube’s Speed Freaks: Users Overall Save Average of 900 Years per Day Watching Videos at Faster Playback Speeds
Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor YouTube is reminding everyone that it offers variable playback speeds — which can add up to a ton of time savings if you’re able to keep pace with life in the fast lane. The video giant first introduced features in 2010 to allow users to control just how quickly or slowly they want to watch content. As you might expect, most YouTube users watch on the default speed. Among those who pick a different playback speed, 85% watch at a faster speed. According to YouTube, 1.5X is the No. 1 most-selected option, followed by 2X as a close second and 1.25X in third. The net effect: In the month of June 2022, YouTube users in aggregate saved an average of over 900 years of video time per day when watching at faster speeds, the Google-owned video service says. As YouTube helpfully (?) explains, that is the equivalent of watching PSY’s “Gangnam Style” almost 113 million times or “Baby Shark” nearly 210 million times (at normal playback speeds, of course).