The Power of YouTube

What is YouTube?

YouTube is a video sharing website on which users can upload, share, and view videos for free. I think it is very useful in a technology advanced generation like this because without it, we would not know half the stars we do today such as Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, or Ted Williams aka The Golden Voice. Mostly people use it for entertainment purposes but lately it's audience target has become more widespread. Companies are now advertising everything on YouTube from video clip ads o huge ads on the side of the screen that are hard to avoid. It gives the user full power ad control over what is sent out into the social media world and I love that.

Entertainment Weekly put it on its end-of-the-decade "best-of" list. It said: "Providing a safe home for piano-playing cats, celeb goof-ups, and overzealous lip-synchers since 2005."

Daily Impact On Our Lives 

  YouTube made it possible for anyone with an Internet connection to post a video so that a worldwide audience could watch within a few minutes.It has truly become a global community.For me, I use YouTube as an entertainment tool when I am extremely bored. But still throughout the week, you always hear about a new internet sensation such as Alabama's very own Antoine Dodson who was simply being interviewed on the news about a serious situation but his reaction was viewed as a joke. He turned his personality into a trademark and is now cashing in on that. Now you cannot go a day without hearing about the infamous "Bed Intruder Song".

Depending on what type of mood I am in, I may spend hours and hours looking for music videos or comedy clips and if it is worth sharing with my friends, then I post it to my Facebook page. You never know who is going to watch it and it may even lighten up their mood as it did yours. Or, it may be a great conversation starter.

Establishing An Identity on YouTube

Social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube have  provided a way for people to explore, experiment, and develop their identities thanks to its unlimited reach across the globe. Many people would say that this has changed their lives because of benefits such as gaining confidence, becoming more outgoing in social situations, identifying as part of a community, gaining motivation and opportunities, improved skills, and even finding a true identity, public video blogging on YouTube has clearly had a positive effect on its users.

If I recognize a person from a popular YouTube video or channel that I watch frequently then I when I see them in public, it feels like I already know them. It is actually kind of wierd because just they may act a certain way for the camera but in real life they can be totally different.

I do not have a YouTube channel at the moment but I do plan on having one with my best friend. If regulur people can get famous and cash in on being a personality then so can we. Afterall, YouTube does say "Broadcast Yourself".

The Future of Television

Within four short years, YouTube has found a large participating public, attracted an astounding level of financial investment, and been the subject of mythmaking and hyperbolic celebration. The book, The YouTube Reader, questions YouTube as being the "next- generation television". In my opinion, I believe it holds no threat to television whatsoever. Rather than compete, it offers more of feedback into what we actually watch on television. You can watch more older, archived shows on the internet, but it will never have the same effect or experience as watching it the traditional way.

Video Memorials

As I read in The YouTube Reader, making video memorials to the deceased has become an increasing trend. Web memorials encourage self expression and an outreach for supporters. As long as the tribute stays subtle and does not cross the line of sharing too much of your private life then I think it is perfectly fine.