As it turns out, I didn't satisfy the requirements for Amazon's affiliate program and I'm okay with that. I didn't quite understand the program and it hadn't made me any money in the four or five months, even though I could see that people had bought something using my links. It's not the end of the world, and it gives me an opportunity to keep up with other things.
They gave me three reasons. One was that I was using a link from a social media sight they don't have on their approval list. The second was that the information on my personal website did not give enough information for buyers, (iffy, but okay, I can see that). And the last was becuase I referenced one of their brand names or altered a link in some way, which I really have no idea about. I did mention that I wasn't familiar with the brand but knew Amazon sold it, but there was nothing saying it was an actual Amazon brand. A little confusing, but okay.
I'm not upset because the program wasn't working for me yet and I was fdoing a lot of work to try to keep up with everything.
Will I try to reapply? Nah, not anytime in the near future. I had taken all other links from different retailers off my videos and website to maximize the effort for Amazon, even if I bought a product ay NewEgg, MicroCenter, BestBuy, or a local store. I'll be just as happy putting links to where I bought it without worrying about if I'm hurting my own money. I don't think it's inconveniencing anyone right now. It does, however give me content for a video which I'll be glad to do. All is not lost.
So, the lesson here? Don't be afraid to try something. It may work, or in my case, I found out it wasn't something that actually benefits me at the moment. I may try again later, I may not, who knows. What I do know, though, is I have a lot on my plate already, so I probably need to get back to it.