One fatal flaw: there's no data to compare it to and therefore nothing to base this conclusion on.

Personally, YouTube became boring after that. I don't use it's algorithm, it's just a video host to me now. Someone sends me a link, I watch it. It has become impossible to find anything interesting on the site anymore using the site alone. I used to love scoffing at flat earthers, then on to lizard people and so on. Did you know there's a face on Venus? Fun times. You can't even fall down a music rabbit hole anymore, it just shows you stuff you've already seen, often 5 minutes earlier. And then it tries to shill garbage at me. It's no fun anymore.