According to Mediascope data (cited by Kommersant), Russians spent more time on YouTube in the first six months of 2022 than previously. They spent on average about 84 minutes per day on the site in this period, then 87 minutes in July and 88 minutes in August.
Among the reasons for this trend could be news fatigue and a desire for escapism, as well as the lack of alternatives — in both terms of streaming (as Western movie studios pulled out of the Russian market soon after the war started) and social media (as Instagram and Facebook were blocked and TikTok was restricted in Russia).
Recently, Russian authorities increasingly targeted YouTube and its mother company Google with fines and threats for various alleged violations. However, the US video platform, which Russian users see mainly as an entertainment channel, has not been banned for the moment.
