Over the last
several weeks, I have analyzed YouTube and its impact on society by applying
several pop culture theories to it. Due to how much YouTube has grown in
popularity, it should not come as a surprise to anyone that many pop culture
theories apply to it. Most notably, the theories of heroes, celebrities,
popular beliefs, rituals, and icons are the ones that best relate to YouTube.
People have become
heroes, and several people have become celebrities as a result of posting
videos on YouTube. What may have once just been an outlet for creativity, ended
up turning into a career for several YouTube users. Through hugely successful
music videos, and various videos that soared in popularity because of a cute
cat, or a heroic act, YouTube became an icon. This has led to the popular belief
that not only can you become a celebrity via YouTube, but that it is also easy
to become one. After all, posting videos on the internet is not hard, right?
Nevertheless, despite the success of a number of people, it is still unlikely
that people will become a celebrity through YouTube. That does not seem to stop
people from trying, though. In doing my research for these analyses over the
last several weeks, I found it shocking just how well these pop culture theories
relate to YouTube and its impact on society. By applying them to my topic, it
was almost as if you could see the very fabric of society, as I read the many
things that have occurred thanks to YouTube.
After all of these
analyses, I have a much greater respect and appreciation for YouTube. It has
done so much good for so many people. That being said, one must be wary of
YouTube, as the success of a few might be driving thousands to post videos of
themselves on the site in the vain hope that they, too, might become famous.
Not only that, but as YouTube continues to grow, more and more people will be
watching videos on the site. While watching YouTube videos is becoming a
ritual, people need to be careful as that ritual could end up killing their
productivity at work or school.
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