[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1X8tElRprdVhCFQZByOQNsQWlTIu48ND[/youtube]
Corrina Parham
English 302-01
New Media
Reflection on Youtube
My interactions with youtube started when I was in middle school. My friend Caroline, who was and continues to be a huge internet nerd, told me about it, saying that it was a place where I could watch videos and upload if I wanted. I first used youtube to watch Anime Music Videos, which are videos that compile clips from episodes of an anime and set them to music. This was also the way that I was introduced to one of my favorite bands, Mindless Self Indulgence. I would watch a video and then look through the related video section and find similar videos. Soon I learned that I could watch entire episodes of an anime on youtube as people would upload the episodes in many parts. I watched Cowboy Bebop and Death Note like this for some time before a found other websites that had complete episodes. To this day I have never uploaded a video to youtube or made an account but when I was in middle school my sister and I made two videos that she uploaded on her account. When I started high school a friend made a facebook for me so my interactions with the Internet spread from watching videos on youtube to having my own page on facebook.
Once I was in high school I stopped watching anime and started using Youtube to watch music videos. I was introduced to many of my current favorite artists, including Die Antwoord, whose video Evil Boy is featured on my playlist. Since then I have mainly used youtube to see music videos or listen to music. For a long time I didn’t have my own computer so I couldn’t and still don’t use iTunes or have any kind of music storage system besides CDs, so youtube has been very useful to me for music. Youtube has made it possible for me to see and hear music for free. Through youtube I have been able to watch music videos that I wouldn’t have had access to from artists like Die Antwoord and Big Freedia. I eventually saw both groups perform live in Boston and Providence respectively.
Like most people, I use youtube to watch entertaining videos from full episodes on a TV show to full moves. Even though I don’t have a TV or cable I can watch the Olympics or clips from the News all on youtube. I also use youtube to watch tutorial videos of stage make up and hula-hoop and poi tricks. The make up tutorial videos are very helpful because you can see what the person is doing and they can explain every step. The poi and hula-hoop videos are useful as well but it is more difficult to learn complicated tricks, especially with poi, from a video rather than from a person. The hula-hoop, poi and dance videos that I watch have given me a lot of inspiration. Once again, it’s better to hula-hoop with someone in person, but the videos have their uses.
Ah, I’ve gotten introduced to artists through YouTube too, namely “Woodkid” and “Steam Powered Giraffe.” I’m woefully out of touch when it comes to music, but it’s cool that so much of it exists on YouTube that friends can easily “educate” me on it.
I sincerely hope there is never a ban on unlicensed music videos on YouTube. Based on how many people use it for music, that may very well be the end of the site.
Like JWSANDER, I appreciate that you mentioned discovering new artists on YouTube. I love covers of contemporary songs, so through surfing YouTube for good covers I found the band Boyce Avenue. They do awesome covers of top 40 songs… Check ’em out!
I tend to forget how useful YouTube can be for watching full-length shows, glad you brought that up
I think it is great that you can use Youtube as a replacement for some of the things you don’t have access to, like iTunes or cable. I never really thought about that, but it really is a great, free resource that people can use to keep up with all sorts of things, such as the Olympics.
I completely forgot that I use YouTube for the Olympics and things like that too! Thank you for reminding me! I really like that you use YouTube to improve your skills. That’s awesome!