YouTube is a media platform that has risen in popularity amongst the public, both young and old.
The platform has also adjusted to what the viewer wants to see, for instance, the platform uses charts and diagrams to track what the viewers enjoy watching, and show videos that relate to their previous searches, https://www.digitaltrends.com/features/how-youtube-has-changed-the-world-in-15-years/ .
The Social media platform has made life in general a lot easier, as it is very efficient to watch a video summarising what your, for example, biology professor was teaching about. Many people have found the concept of visual learning extremely effective, as it is useful to have an image in your mind about how the Solar System looks for example.
In context of school and education
Schools and universities have also adapted to the digital world, as many, if not all, schools and universities use laptops. Teachers and professors also use YouTube in order to show their students a summary of what was taught to them in class. Some students then watch these revision videos on repeat, as repetition helps the mind process the information from short term memory into long term memory. This shows that YouTube is not only for entertainment purposes, but can also be educational, which also highlights that YouTube has changed the world through providing visual learning tools.
However, since YouTube’s user number has increased throughout the years, the social media platform has made adjustments in order to suit the needs of the people, and also to protect them. An example being the limited accessibility to certain content that is deemed inappropriate for a particular age group. As it might contain themes that are violent or graphic.
In context of entertainment and also career building
Youtube has also altered the world of entertainment, and also careers. The reason being that YouTube can be used to promote one’s image, for example, videos of politicians attending an election might go viral, thus, gaining power through views, https://s.telegraph.co.uk/graphics/projects/youtube/ .
According to actress Rachel David in a Ted Talk video, marketing has also increased through the use of YouTube, more specifically, the use of Influencers, such as Kylie Jenner, to promote a product, or an agency, which she refers to as a millennial approach to marketing. Her use of the word ‘millennial’ has interested me, as it indicates that we are a new era because of the digitalisation of the world through platforms such as YouTube.
Rachel David, How Influencers Have Transformed modern Marketing, Ted Talk: TEDxVancouver, video posted: 18th March 2019.
The younger generation also like to post videos of themselves singing, dancing, teaching how to do’s, cooking, baking, and travelogues and more. In the present era, many young Instagram influencers also rely on YouTube to further their online fame, or identity. For instance, famous YouTubers such as Zoella, who have over 6 million YouTube subscribers on their channel have started out just casually posting videos, talking about their favourite things such as clothing, or beauty products, https://s.telegraph.co.uk/graphics/projects/youtube/. YouTubers are then pleasantly surprised when they reach such a huge number of subscribers, as they did not expect it, which shows how quickly a video can go viral. The videos that go viral on YouTube also often get spread across different Social media platforms such as Instagram, or Tiktok.
YouTube is often perceived as a way to boost one’s career. A few years ago, this was not possible, as one had to find other ways to gain public attention and recognition. Since YouTube is a public social media platform it makes it accessible to everyone regardless of age. It has also increased the possibility of gaining fame, something that is a dream to many, and honestly mine too. Say for example, Justin Bieber, caught the attention of the public when he started to upload videos of himself singing songs, https://s.telegraph.co.uk/graphics/projects/youtube/ .
During the Corona pandemic, museums have also resorted to YouTube to give a virtual walk through a museum without actually physically being there to see the museum exhibit. The virtual walk through opportunities has made sure that the people working there still have a possibility to do their jobs.
Generally, YouTube has changed the world as it has opened up new possibilities of communicating with the public, and also gave an opportunity for people to build a career via the platform. It has also given people the possibility to continue their jobs during the Corona pandemic, for instance, museum curators could proceed their teachings via creating a video of them explaining the importance of specific art pieces in a museum.
References
https://s.telegraph.co.uk/graphics/projects/youtube/
https://www.digitaltrends.com/features/how-youtube-has-changed-the-world-in-15-years/
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