YouTube cracking on ad blockers.

Hell yeah, brother 😎

It is more that we, as users, have become a lot more lazy.

It was rare for one company to host most of the content. Instead, content would be distributed across different websites.

Not sure your age and I sincerely do not want to critique it either or come across as ageist, but I remember a world without YouTube and all this crap. We're going to be ok if we don't go to YouTube. Not trying to be flippant - really. I understand the monopolistic conundrum we find ourselves in.

This is where voting and advocating for real legal solutions comes in. Is that easy - no. However there has been progress in the EU and Warren/Cruz are sponsoring a digital rights bill too. If that fails, we keep pushing. It is possible and the encouraging part is that the more they (Google, fb, Amazon, etc.) reveal of their trap the easier it will be for us to pressure politicians.

Younger folks have allies in older non techy people too. Those folks feel bewildered by their phones, computers, etc. Politicians certainly listen to them and if they have their grandchildren agreeing with them that tech companies are crazy. I almost guarantee they'd agree. See Elizabeth Warren and Ted Cruz co-sponsorship as some evidence. Talk to folks y'all!

Also, your library has a lot of content if you are looking for documentaries.

Kind of sounds like you have tried nothing and you're all out of ideas. Can't say I blame you. Complacency and feelings of no way out is where they want you.

Spolier monopolies! No one changes until they are under pressure and feel trapped. They're feeding the fire of their own undoing.