With every passing day we see a substantial shift towards the usage of videos and images to express oneself. Be it through making and uploading videos, or by using GIFS, emoji’s. A change that is quite evident from a study conducted by SONAR, J.Walter Thompson’s proprietary research unit[i] where the results show a considerable increase towards online videos. Looking at a research sample of 12-19 year olds, what the study shows is that as compared to leisure activities the younger generation is most likely to be watching YouTube videos (72%), followed on by watching television at home (69%) and playing electronic games (61%)[ii]. YouTube holds appeal to the younger generation. But what is YouTube, and who or what is everyone watching?
Jose Van Dijck in the essay, ‘YouTube beyond Technology and Cultural Form’ describes YouTube as ‘homecasting’, the same way as TV is to ‘broadcasting’. In simpler terms, homecasting is an idea derived from home recordings where you basically share self-created or recreated media content on sites like YouTube. While broadcasting, on the other hand is the creation of media content by production companies who have a specific target audience.
YouTube is a platform to share content for the world to see; content that can be anything, ranging from how to do your make-up to home-made baby videos. With a worldwide audience, it is no surprise that some YouTubers can even end up becoming celebrities. One such example is that of Casey Neistat YouTube channel[iii], a vlogger; a term used for someone who records a video blog, who has quickly grown to more than 5 million subscribers. It isn’t just the number of subscribers that determines one’s popularity on YouTube, rather it can be measured in different ways. By most viewed, most responded, most discussed, top rated, most favourited, previously popular, and most active as explained by Burgess J. and Green J, in “YouTube’s popular culture” In YouTube: Online Video and Participatory Culture. But then again popularity comes with its own pros and cons.
By gaining knowledge about one’s popularity, YouTube can monetize from selling data onto media industries. They can than target the key YouTubers or vloggers for endorsements of their brands. In the case of Casey, he not just promotes other brands like Nike and Samsung but also got an opportunity to endorse his own app, BEME via YouTube with plenty of viral fanfare.
Where YouTube on one hand may help you gain popularity and make money, there is a down side to it too. It can also result in unexpected consequences. An appropriate case here is of the hatred that Samantha Maria received via viewer comments when her relationship with her boyfriend ended. Online speculation grew to such an extent that she felt compelled to publicly respond as she explains in the BBC documentary ‘Rise of the Superstar Vloggers.’
YouTube has emerged as a powerful social media platform with millions of unique views on daily basis. Some users have grown huge on YouTube with the number of subscribers they have, with such staggering views they are no less than celebrities. Often this fame is short lived. Things might as well back fire and the outcome in that case is not pleasing at all.
References
1- Laughlin, S. (2015) A breakdown of Generation Z and their media habits. Available at: https://www.jwtintelligence.com/2015/05/data-point-generation-z-and-media/ (Accessed: 2 December 2016).
2- de Valck, M. and Teurlings, J. (2013) Youtube beyond technology and cultural form – After the break: Television theory today. P.147-159. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press.
3- Burgess J. and Green J. 2009. “Youtube’s popular culture” In Youtube: Online Video and Participatory Culture, Chapter 3.
4- Richards, J. and Dailymotion, 2016 (2016) Rise of the superstar Vloggers BBC documentary 2016. Available at: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3qhhnw (Accessed: 2 December 2016).
[i] http://www.slideshare.net/jwtintelligence/jwt-generation-z-48070734
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