Yet again, I find myself attempting to write a political science paper the night before it’s due. And even still, my procrastinating fingers get antsy, and I find them typing Y-o-u-T-u-b-e into my Web browser. I know I should be trying to decipher the meaning of citizenship in American society, but I can’t help it ““ I can’t stop watching videos.
My name is Connor Fitzpatrick, and I am addicted to YouTube.
But then again, is my addiction, which is one countless college students certainly suffer from as well, so terrible?
Perhaps I’m just trying to justify my procrastinating ways, but I think there’s some benefit to satiating my cravings. In fact, I’m going to go ahead and say I think I’m a more open and well-rounded person because of the videos I watch.
YouTube videos aren’t just a way for us to watch absurd and off-the-wall people do crazy things (though I can’t deny that there is a certain amount of fun in this).
YouTube can be a way to connect to people across the nation and around the globe. It shrinks our world in a very good way and presents to us a plethora of perspectives, opinions and experiences to absorb and learn from, all in video clips that are just a few minutes long (the perfect length for a quick procrastination break).
Recently, UCLA recognized the potential of such a universal visual platform and jumped on the YouTube bandwagon. Just a few weeks ago, the Daily Bruin reported that the university’s YouTube channel is aimed at a global audience and seeks to display UCLA’s high standard of education. Who are they trying to show off to? Young people, of course ““ students like us in college and high school, who want to see what this school is all about.
But UCLA is certainly not the first organization to recognize the power of getting their message out through YouTube. Both political campaigns have constructed YouTube channels to bring their message to the youth of America.
McCain’s camp presents straightforward videos that lay out his position with no frills attached, but the Obama camp is particularly good at crafting videos that cater directly to its audience.
Obama’s “The American Promise” video takes the climax of Obama’s convention speech and makes it even more inspiring, and “Signs of Hope & Change” incorporates footage of ordinary people from around the nation into an uplifting and moving video clip.
While these political videos can be inspiring, and they certainly play their part in the YouTube experience, the videos I watch when I feel like feeding my addiction are made by the “vloggers” of YouTube. These video bloggers form the underlying backbone of YouTube and constitute a community of individuals willing to share their personal lives with the world.
Vloggers don’t always create the most sensational videos, but their videos are the ones that can provide a glimpse into a life that is not ours. Vloggers provide a kind of public visual diary, conveying both ordinary and extraordinary events and perspectives to anybody willing to listen. The results are videos that can connect us with people we would never have encountered outside of YouTube.
Michael Suman, a professor of communications studies at UCLA, said that YouTube videos may help both the creators and the viewers relate to each other.
“(These videos) have the potential to make us feel better about ourselves and perhaps not feel so isolated,” Suman said.
These vloggers are undoubtedly a unique breed. They represent an amazing spectrum of personalities who aren’t afraid to put their interesting personality quirks on display.
Take for instance the vlogger Paperlilies, who after years of creating vlogs and connecting with various YouTubers, has taken it upon herself to create an international Internet zombie movie with a cast of hundreds from around the globe.
Or Jimmy0010, who, through his cynical point of view and dry humor, always manages to pick up on the subtleties of everyday life and turn them into something hilarious.
Or Disneykid1, who frequently dresses up in costume and plays multiple roles at once in his attempt to convey his daily trials and tribulations.
Or The Vlogbrothers, who managed to create a vlog every day for a year, and in the process established an army of fans who call themselves The Nerdfighters and profess their devotion to decreasing levels of “world-suck.” (I’ll admit that I’m a Nerdfighter too. … Who wouldn’t want to decrease “world-suck?”)
These are just a few of my favorite video bloggers. Each of them has a very different perspective to offer and often an entertaining story to tell. And while they are all unique individuals, I think their videos help demonstrate that we aren’t all so different after all. We want to connect, we want to share ourselves with others, and YouTube makes it easy to do that.
So next time you find yourself tempted to procrastinate, go ahead. If you spend a little time digging into YouTube, you’ll find the videos worth watching and the vloggers that might have a perspective that means something to you. Maybe if you’re lucky, you’ll get addicted too.