Multiple publications agreed that the video embodies YouTube as a whole.
Business Insider ranked it the most important YouTube video of all time, stating that it is emblematic of YouTube's user-generated nature.
The New York Observer also ranked it as the most important video in
YouTube history, noting its historical significance.
BuzzFeed News listed it among the 20 most important
online videos of all time. As the first video on YouTube, it has also been described as the first YouTube
vlog. Reviewers thought that "Me at the zoo" was a monumental part of YouTube's history. Aaron Duplantier, in his book
Authenticity and How We Fake It: Belief and Subjectivity in Reality TV, Facebook and YouTube, stated that the ordinary nature of "Me at the zoo" set the tone for the type of original, amateur content that would become typical of YouTube, especially among
YouTubers and
vloggers. The
Los Angeles Times explained in 2009 that "Me at the zoo" made a significant change in how media was consumed, establishing an era of short videos.
Digital Trends deemed it set a standard for future videos on YouTube. Film critic
Peter Bradshaw listed the video as one of the key releases of the 2000s. The official San Diego Zoo YouTube account left a now-pinned comment on the video in 2020, stating "We're so honored that the first ever YouTube video was filmed here!" As of April 22, 2026, it is the most-liked comment on the platform, with 4.5 million likes. In February 2026, the
Victoria and Albert Museum in London acquired a reconstructed early webpage and the "Me at the zoo" video, built by the museum's digital conservation team over 18 months. == Changes to original video ==