The action of making the number of times a video has been watched invisible to the public is a functionality YouTube offers. This feature alters the standard presentation of video data, wherein view counts are typically displayed prominently beneath the video. For example, a creator might choose to hide the view count on a tutorial video, perhaps to minimize perceived lack of expertise if the count is low.
Hiding this metric can be strategically advantageous. For newer channels or content creators experimenting with different formats, it can mitigate the impact of initially low viewership on viewer perception. This approach also redirects focus towards the content itself, rather than relying on the perceived popularity to drive engagement. Historically, the display of view counts has been a significant factor in influencing user behavior, and removing it potentially levels the playing field for emerging content.