By Managing Editor: Amber Lee Carnahan
Back in February 14, 2005, history was made when three former PayPal employees created the internet domain, “YouTube.com.” The website was designed to be a video-sharing hub where participants could share and view videos. Since then, YouTube has grown to an amazing popularity. According to YouTube’s Statistics, more than one billion unique viewers visit the website per month. Additionally, 100 hours of video are uploaded every minute, making it literally impossible to count the number of videos on YouTube. With the limitless amount of videos able to be watched across a varying genre, YouTube is able to offer a bounty of entertainment for free, compared to the high cost required to have cable television. While YouTube isn’t a direct replacement for television since it doesn’t offer access to any series or movies, it is a more cost-friendly way to stay entertained.
Entertainment. There’s several ways to stay entertained on YouTube depending on personal preference. Different channels include gaming let’s play channels, parody channels, music channels, vlogs, and much more. Signing into YouTube allows viewers to be able to subscribe to their favorite channels, which allows them to be able to keep track of new updates and videos added to the channel. If you don’t have time to watch a video at the moment, there’s the option of “Watch Later,” which saves it to a playlist that you can view whenever you please. If you’re not sure what type of video you want to watch, the home page of YouTube has a “Best of YouTube” section that you can browse through to find the current most popular videos.
Besides simply just watching videos, there’s always the option of making your own videos, which can be a fun and creative way to pass the time. Music videos are generally easy to make, and can be created through any video editor. Creating your own videos on YouTube is a great way to test your creative abilities and get some recognition if you have a special talent. Whether it be playing an instrument, performing a comedy sketch with some friends, or creating a silly animation, YouTube offers an outlet for creative thinkers and those willing to step outside their comfort box. Leading motivators in creating videos is watching the amount of views your videos accumulate, seeing positive comments, and even gaining a few subscribers.
Education. Besides entertainment value, YouTube also offers plenty of educational videos. “How-to” videos help teach fun activities or skills you might want to master. If you’re looking to learn an instrument, you can easily find hundreds of videos introducing the topic and showing you what you need to know to begin learning that instrument. Ever want to learn how to solve a Rubix Cube? Type it into the search bar and you’ll be quickly directed to a plethora of videos showing you how to do just that. If you have a knack for teaching others, you could try your hand at making your own “How-to” videos.
Employment. The third perhaps most important aspect of YouTube is the fact that, through time and dedication to making good videos, you could become a paid YouTube partner. For several people, YouTube is their job, and some even end up making six figures at the end of each year. While making videos isn’t for everyone, if you have a certain talent for entertaining others, joining YouTube could be your future. Besides YouTube Partnerships, money can also be made off videos through ads that play before or during a video. Either way, YouTube is a great way to make a living while entertaining or educating others.
While YouTube might seem like just a fun pastime, its value is tenfold when considering how beneficial it can be for anyone. Whether it’s just a hobby or a full-time job, YouTube is a free entertainment service that can help everyone.
