I don’t watch TV. I barely watch Hulu or Netflix. When I want to watch my favorite show, I go straight to YouTube.
YouTube is an evolving landscape that is constantly updating. Every day there are new episodes of some of the most popular shows. I myself have subscribed to 115 different channels and watch at least 20 videos a day. I will admit that I am probably addicted to YouTube, but I’m not sure I care.
One of the great things about YouTube is that everything is done by creators. Most channels are started and run by one or two people with no goal in mind other than to share content. There isn’t a big corporation rejecting ideas for new shows. If a creator wants to upload his idea, he can do it.
The variety of YouTube is vast as well: news, sports, video games, dramas, comedies, music, reality, documentaries, trailers, etc. YouTube has something for everyone.
Feedback is another cool aspect of YouTube. After a video is posted, viewers can comment on videos, like or dislike them and share them to any of their social media accounts. YouTube becomes not only an entertainment platform, but a form of communication between creator and viewer.
The accessibility of YouTube is another great feature of the website. Phone, laptop, tablet, gaming system and smart TVs all have access to YouTube. When people want to watch their favorite episode of their favorite YouT ube show, they don’t have to hope it’s on Netflix or Hulu. People don’t have to hope that a rerun will come on TV. I can go to my laptop right now and watch episodes of my favorite shows just by typing it in the search bar.
YouTube can change you. It may sound weird, but I feel YouTube has changed me. One of the big reasons for that is a guy named Philip DeFranco. DeFranco runs a news show titled The Philip DeFranco. Lack of a creative title aside, DeFranco’s content is how I receive my news every Monday through Thursday.
He not only covers serious issues like the Volkswagen controversy or political topics but celebrity news, movie and TV show reviews and other YouTube news. The part about DeFranco that keeps me watching is his honesty. The guy will give his honest opinion of any topic while still respecting or at least trying to comprehend any opposing opinion. He plays devil’s advocate even though the argument he speaks for may not match his own opinion.
The community feel of YouTube is the biggest draw for a lot of viewers, myself included. YouTube has provided creators with the opportunity to start a business and to have an actual paying job from the comfort of their own homes. And these actual paying jobs provide well above the living wage for some creators. People like Pewdiepie, Smosh, Jenna Marbles, Shaycarl and Ryan Higa all make at least six digits a year with Pewdiepie, who is the most subscribed -to creator on all of YouTube, making well into the millions.
As a fan of Pewdiepie for years now, I feel like I played a part in his large success. Yes, I am only one of his near 48 million subscribers, but I have been a subscriber for years now. As someone I have shown support for, he has gone through the ranks all the way to the top spot.
YouTube is a site that keeps feeding the people who use it. I visit the site five or six times a day and spend at least an hour on it every time I start enjoying my favorite content. YouTube isn’t the future of entertainment; it is the present of entertainment.
Dominic LoVallo is the
Managing Editor for The
Bona Venture. His email is
lovalldv15@bonaventure.edu
