Youtube and Social Media
I had a conversation with my boyfriend about youtube and the society that we live in today, he pointed out that the type of youtube platform that I want to create is the past and that the future is watching “the rich and famous”, and gone are the days of when youtube was just something more organic.
That made made me think, is there a place for me in this space? Is it a waste of time to even try? Will I even be able to find an audience? It actually made me sad to think that something that was created the year I graduated high school, a place where people put up videos to show creativity, funny videos, sketch videos etc… and now it’s become about the life these creators have chosen to show us.
What we see on youtube is only a fraction of what their lives are, they are showing us highlights of the day they had and what they did; but we don’t actually know them. Now before you get upset I’m not trying to put anyone down for what the career they have created for themselves using youtube and social media, I respect those who have created their own empires. The point I’m trying to make is what has the space become? and why is it that there are creators who make amazing content, the editing is movie grade yet they don’t have views/subscribers because they may not be aesthetically pleasing to some or something else they are judged on.
Then there is social media and the one that created the term “influencer” is Instagram, it evolved from sharing pictures to generating sponsorships, ad campaigns and product lines. All these things are amazing.
The only issue is when people see these images they want to be these people and again it is only a snap shot of what their life is. Don’t get me wrong I have an instagram account, twitter, snap chat, facebook etc… but I’ve tried my best to not post anything that isn’t realistic. It’s a conundrum really, how can these amazing spaces show us amazing creativity but be destructive as well in a way.
This shouldn’t stop you from pursuing a potential career in youtube or social media, I know it hasn’t stopped me but we should all be aware of what youtube and social media can turn into.
Let me know your thoughts, comment below 🙂
-Britt
