Monday, July 12, 2010

me tube, YouTube, we all tube

In answer to the Library Lady's question, yes I enjoy the You Tube experience - especially since I now have the ability to put it in a blog (scroll down to see the last 2 entries).

Streaming has become so popular, in part, because it is so accessible. Younger generations who have been raised with media and computer technology in-their-face from the cradle have an intimate relationship with it. They are the driving force behind its popularity using it as a means of creative expression, communication and providing forums for exploration of ideas.

My generation has a distinct ambivalence towards it. With our reference to WWII and Orwell's classic 1984 , baby boomers, for the most part demonstrate a wariness about such public vehicles. We question: Will it control us or will we control it? How will it impact on our life and issues of privacy? Do we all need our 15 minutes of fame? Why would anyone want to be so out there?

The reality is, what you do with it is up to you. Whether you browse from afar or become more engaged with the technology there's no doubt that it is:
  • entertaining - as you have noticed from the videos that I have chosen to add in the previous 2 posts
  • informative - since I'm a visual type of person I prefer demos to the written word when attempting to learn new skills. I learned how to make my own juggling balls through a video like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdLB1WwKsfw
  • a pleasant time waster - and soon I will be able to do this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8f8drk5Urw (note - request to embed was denied)
  • a way to find factual information that you want quickly as many TV programs (or snippets of) are available on You Tube - without being held captive by: TV schedules, channel surfing beloved members of a household or commercial interludes
  • potentially a forum for diverse perspectives on the human condition, politics and world events
  • a way to interact with others world-wide - we really are a global community
  • a form of advertising and promotion 
And, these are just some of the reasons that I feel it has become so popular. My classmates will have their views on the subject and I'll be interested in reading their posts.

Yes, I will continue to view YouTube and include it in posts when it is relevant, and I'm so inclined. Being a creative type I also hope to be able to explore making my own videos. I see it as another fun way for me to keep up with technology.

1 comment:

  1. You've perfectly summed up the positive uses for YouTube! As you say, it is up to the individual to chose which way they will 'view' it.

    You mention that you may want to create and upload your own videos to YouTube. If you are looking for instructions on how to do that...yup, you guessed it--they are available on YouTube!

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