Youtube

What is something you like that others don’t “understand”? Is it a specific activity you do that your friends think is weird? A type of literature that people you hang out with don’t read? Is it something your friends do that you partake in more frequently because of personal interest? The last one is what I want to talk about today because with that one I can speak from my own personal experiences. What am I talking about exactly? Well, prepare yourselves because my thoughts and feelings about Youtube are finally coming out. This should be fun.

As many people know I have somewhat of an affinity for Youtube. I have an account, follow many people on there who regularly post videos and have even tried my hand at posting videos as well (figured out pretty quickly that I had no idea what I was doing and stopped though). My point is that I consider Youtube a major interest/hobby of mine. Some people probably think this is weird or bizarre and some people have even outright told me it is. To most people Youtube is simply a website with a ton of videos about everything so if you need to find something to laugh at just go there because it is basically Wikipedia in video form. Basically, to most people it is a time-waster so when most people hear I am very involved and interested in Youtube they think I am just a lazy bum who sits around and watched videos all day for no reason whatsoever. To me (and many others around the world) Youtube is much more than that though.

Youtube is my escape from reality. Many people usually put something like reading, writing, watching movies, playing video games, or baking in this category. I put Youtube. I’m interested in everything else I just mentioned (aside from baking since I have zero skill) and do use them at times as an escape as well but Youtube is the main one for me. If I am having a bad day at work or am just having a crappy day in general I know that when I get home I will have certain Youtube videos from people I am subscribed to waiting in my subscription box. It gives me something to look forward to. Mondays generally suck because it is the beginning of the week, but just knowing that Philip Defranco, Nicepeter, the Vlogbrothers, and maybe even Chuggaaconroy are going to post videos makes my day better. Most of you probably have no idea who any of those people are and that is fine by me. Go and check them out if you are curious. The fact of the matter is that regardless if I am in depression, angry at a friend, exhausted and unsure of what to do with my life, or something else, I know that I can go to Youtube, open up a video by one of them, and be assured at least 3 ½ minutes of escape from reality. Yes, that isn’t much, but it helps me to get my head on straight and think clearly. Sometimes all you need to do to turn your day around is to just smile and laugh and those Youtubers – as well as many others – help me to do that.

So, if you still think Youtube is simply a website and any person who does more than just watch a video or two recommended to them is weird, that is fine by me. Think that way if you want to. It will mean more to me regardless of what anyone thinks because I know that I will still get enjoyment out of it even if others do not understand it. Case in point, there was a Youtube concert tour called the Digitour that came to Lawrence this past summer. It was basically a tour of musicians on Youtube that had gained some popularity to the outside world. I told some friends about it and they thought it was “cool” but no one was interested in going, so I decided to go alone. That was the best concert I have ever been to. I met a ton of awesome people who understood my love for Youtube because they had the same interest in it, and I got to hear some of the best live music I have ever heard by some people I have gotten to know over the months simply through them posting videos for me and the world to see. I honestly could not have asked for more, and I will simply continue to be grateful that this website exists for not only my enjoyment and well-being but for others as well.