Hello everyone! My name is Rianna Puno and I’m a junior majoring in Communication. I was born in Virginia but my hometown is in Manila, Philippines – where it’s summer all year long! (Imagine how miserable I am in the winter.) My guilty pleasures are watching bad reality TV and reading Us Weekly.
The Internet phenomenon that interests me is our current YouTube generation. Since YouTube is fairly new, I believe that it falls into a new Internet environment that hosts all amateur, user-created content. Instead of just seeking information on the World Wide Web, the public now has their input on it (blogs, wikis, etc.)
I don’t even know where to start, considering the many uses people have for YouTube – video blogs, spoofing music videos, or posting some crazy stunt your friends attempted last night. What motivates people to post these (sometimes useless) videos online? Are they even aware of who is watching their videos?
On the other hand, I am also amazed by how YouTube can be used for “legitimate” things as well. We all saw/heard of the Presidential Debate on CNN, which used questions via YouTube videos from the public. Justin Timberlake’s record label signed a girl who was discovered only through YouTube. P. Diddy thinks he can find his new assistant by viewing applicants’ videos on his site. At this rate, what is the future of YouTube?
Posting a video on YouTube could probably feel like a contribution to society. It may be communication to the outside world, or someone’s 15 seconds of fame. Whatever it is, I still cannot believe that millions of videos are uploaded each day, and that the Most Viewed ones are receiving over a million hits everyday as well. I have definitely had my share of entertainment from YouTube (Remember Evolution of Dance? Or OMG Shoes?!), but I still wonder why people choose to post all these videos online. Why has YouTube become such an icon in popular culture?
It’s even a separate application on the iPhone!
5 comments:
I definitely see where you're coming from and have the same exact questions about YouTube! It's interesting how the most seemingly useless and pointless videos become the most widely viewed ones. I feel as if because so many people are online more than watching television, it has become the new source of visual entertainment. I guess it's also the easiest source of visual entertainment for people at work, who should be doing their work, but instead are on YouTube, not to mention students in lectures, and anyone else who has a lot of time on their hands with a computer/notebook. I'm also curious to see the future of YouTube and I have a feeling it is going to play a very significant role in our society. Who konws, maybe there will even be a category in the next major awards show for best YouTube video, or dare I say even a YouTube Awards, just deticated to YouTube videos? I guess we just have to sit back and see what happens.
Isn’t it funny how certain videos can become youtube phenomenons overnight? i sometimes wonder too who it is that makes these videos like OMG shoes and what they expected to get out of posting them. I guess because some of the videos on youtube are just so ridiculous that we just watch them for comic relief. One of my personal favorite youtube videos was the smirnoff ice tea video --- not only did the stereotypes in it remind me of many people that i know (the town i grew up in was mentioned in it lol), but I found it so fascinating that it was actually an advertisement that ONLY existed on youtube yet it managed to reach millions of people. I wondered how it became such a phenomenon: how was Smirnoff so confident that many people would watch and find out about it? This is definitely something I would like to learn about in class.
Hi Rianna,
I really enjoyed reading your blog about YouTube and have wondered myself why someone would put a video on YouTube. Even though I have not put anything on YouTube, I have a few possible reasons as to why someone would want to put a video on YouTube. One possible reason someone puts a video of him or herself on YouTube is the chance to become famous. For example, I was watching a show on the television today about celebrities and fashion. The commentator of this style show I was watching was the woman/man in the Shoes YouTube. (the blonde person singing) The commentary was hilarious, and a perfect example as to someone becoming famous because of his or her YouTube video. Putting a video on YouTube is easy, and even if someone’s intention is not to become famous, everyone likes to make someone else laugh. Another possible reason as to why someone would post a video on YouTube.
I also think YouTube is a very exciting relatively new addition to the internet. I was impressed by how much popularity can surround ridiculous videos online (such as Shoes) but also how quickly the presidential candidates each posted their own "channel" of sorts on YouTube. Also, they seemed to rotate in and out of the space at the top of the YouTube homepage. I was taking Mass Media and Society when YouTube was first taking off, and the Professor emphasized how this was an amazing development for regular people to be producers instead of just consumers of media (like major TV networks). It is interesting how YouTube has been utilized by companies (like Smirnoff as mentioned by Hallie) and presidential candidates for great publicity.
Hey Rianna! I have to admit I’ve wasted countless hours searching Youtube, realizing too late that my night is completely gone, so I thought your selection of an Internet phenomenon was right on the money. I liked that you described the entertainment side of Youtube, along with its more reputable uses, like the debates. Maybe on your next post, after raising a question, you could give your input and let us readers know what you think on the issue.
I’ve taken a few media classes, and just started a copyright class this week, so I thought I’d give my two cents on the possible future of Youtube. When Google acquired Youtube, it was almost immediately sued by Viacom and big business powers for copyright infringement, like when you watch the latest Stephen Colbert that you missed. I’m not exactly sure where Youtube is headed, but I think that there is definitely going to be some regulation and the reins will be pulled in at some point. Hopefully this won’t destroy the freedom that characterizes this unique Internet tool.
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