- 01/02/2017
- Category: Commentaries
In the past ten years, social networking websites and media platforms have successfully penetrated society. People commonly have more than three social media accounts, and it is considered to be a part of their lifestyle to upload and expose their photos and videos. Every social media has its different features which allow its users to post anything they want through these provided features. One that is growing significantly nowadays is Youtube, with videos as its main feature. In their data statistics, 1.3 billion people use Youtube, which means almost one-third of all individuals around the world.[1] This data projects that Youtube could be a new source of creating and getting information.
The Phenomenon of Vlog
Through Youtube, people have become familiar with the aspects of video blogging or ‘vlog.’ According to data analyzed by Global Web Index, two out of three Internet users (65%) have watched a vlog, and more than two in five Internet users (42%) have watched a vlog within the last month (per January 2015). Clearly, vlogging is alive and doing very well in changing the face of Internet usage.[2] Vlog is going diverse in content and users, along with rapid development of Youtube. The exposure to personal life becomes a very common content source in vlogging. Many vloggers start by sharing their hobbies, such as make-up, traveling, restaurant exploring, cooking, and much more.[3] Routinely, they vlog about something that relates to their hobbies or expertise.
Vlogging has successfully created a new trend for people’s lifestyle. Global Data Index captured a chart of viewers’ age segmentation accessing vlog on January 2015, and it showed data which has surprisingly spread towards every age ranges. Younger visitors (16–24 years and old 25–34 years old) tend to spend more time on Youtube than other age ranges, which reaches 50%. However, the age range of it (34–44 years old) are not far behind, which is around 40%.[4] This data shows how vlogging has become universal for every age range.
The Shifting of People’s Culture
The development of Youtube and the habit of watching vlog has spread out among the society. This phenomenon unconsciously has been changing the way of creating and getting information. In the case of Youtube and vlog phenomenon, the wordplay of “Broadcast Yourself” gives a contribution as well to boost the way of people expose or broadcast them self through vlog. In vlog, people has their right to make content, and it is supported as well by the categorization based on hobbies created by netizens. This branding makes certain vloggers more well-known.
With this technology, a more participatory culture has emerged in which individuals contribute to the creation of information.[5] For example, a beauty vlogger shares how to do a makeup look with a lower price of cosmetics. This information is commonly experience-based which means a beauty vlogger sometimes does not need a formal knowledge to be able to make a vlog content with this such information. Social media services, specifically Youtube, allow users to become the subject of their media content and the controller of their media production.[6] With the huge number of users and viewers of Youtube, participatory culture has gradually shifted people’s culture in this digital age in which to produce a content of information is simple, and everyone can do it.
From viewers’ point of view, Youtube and vlog also change the culture of getting information. With the world in the midst of a social media revolution, it is more than obvious that social medias are used extensively for the purpose of communication.[7] Youtube involves every user to engage with the vloggers as the source of information itself by providing a subscribe button which makes users would not miss every newest video posted by the vloggers. Viewers could also add commentary on each Youtube channel which would broaden their interaction to vloggers and other users. One of the reasons people prefer such form of media is because of the interactions they can have there, both in social and professional level. Whether it is as simple as checking back to see what other comments have been added to theirs or as involved as number one viewers of every updates and information given by vloggers, interaction is extensively forged.[8] In the point of getting information, YouTube not only provides a space for expression, but also has the potential to be disruptive to the traditional modes of production, distribution, and exhibition in the media industries.[9] One which experiences the sharp decline of viewers is television. During five years, the viewers of traditional TV is falling off the cliff, and it is inversely proportional to the number of YouTube viewers which are increasing from time to time. This occurs more specifically on millennials consumers aged 13-24; they spend 11.3 hours weekly watching free online video, compared with 8.3 hours for regularly scheduled TV shows.[10] Defy Media president, Keith Richman said one of the reasons why Youtube came to take over TV viewers is because it feels more real than what TV produced.[11] The interaction and the entertainment served by the vloggers are the main reason why vlog penetrates well in society.
Conclusion
Looking at what happened in the vlogging phenomena, participatory culture has given freedom for individuals to produce content in social media, and the existence of social media itself gives people a new form of interaction. The content of vlogs which are very diverse has created a new source for people to get information. The delivery of information through videos that exposes their personal life and experience offers something new and accessible towards every age range of people. The growing number of vlogs and vloggers have a meaningful significance on how people’s culture of creating and getting information have changed.
Picture: pexels.com
References:
[1] Youtube Statistics (2017). ‘Statistics.’ Available at: https://www.youtube.com/yt/press/statistics.html. Accessed on January 12th, 2017]
[2] Susan Gunelis (2015). ‘The Rise of Vlogging in 2014’. ACI Blog (online). Available at: https://aci.info/2015/01/23/the-rise-of-vlogging-in-2014/. [Accessed on January 12th, 2017]
[3] Jim Wyecroft (2015). ‘Vlogging: Making Narcissism Pay Since 2005’. Social Matter (online). Available at: http://www.socialmatter.net/2015/12/31/vlogging-making-narcissism-pay-since-2005/. [Accessed on January 17th, 2017]
[4] Jason Mander (2015). Global Data Index (online). Available at: https://www.globalwebindex.net/blog/16-34s-lead-the-vlogging-trend. [Accessed on January 23rd, 2017]
[5] Luke Trendinnick (2008), ‘Digital Information Culture: The Individual and Society in the Digital Age.’ Chandos Publishing. Great Britain. pg. 105
[6] Luke Trendinnick, ‘Digital Information Culture: The Individual and Society in the Digital Age, pg. 105
[7] Trisha Dowerah Baruah (2012). ‘Effectiveness of Social Media as a tool of communication and its potential for technology-enabled connections: A micro-level study,’ International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications. 2(5). pg. 5
[8] Trisha Dowerah Baruah (2012). ‘Effectiveness of Social Media as a tool of communication and its potential for technology-enabled connections: A micro-level study.’
[9] Bryan Mueller. 2014. ‘Participatory Culture in Youtube: A Case Study of the Multichannel Network Machinima.’ Dissertation. London School of Economic. London
[10] Anonim (2015). Huffington Post (online). ‘Millennials Find Watching Youtube Videos Way More Entertaining Than TV.’ Available at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/04/millennials-youtube-tv-younger-audiences-_n_6797046.html. [Accessed on January 30th, 2017]
[11] Anonim (2015). Huffington Post (online). ‘Millennials Find Watching Youtube Videos Way More Entertaining Than TV’
