Blame it on smart phones! As more videos are produced on these phones and the quality increases, there will be more acceptability for viewing these videos on both the phone and on tablets. Proponents say that it is easier to hold the phone vertically and not horizontally. But, this concept does not translate to a laptop or other wide screen. In fact, these vertical videos are really annoying! There is less visual data and the dark bars distract from easy viewing. However, some sites are now allowing full-screen playback and it is a bit better but the battle will go on.
I believe that a better cause would be to eliminate the videos produced with poor audio quality, complete lack of preparation of the background and editing, lighting, and inane content! So, smile and stand tall!