Vloggers React to Tragedy

 

While many of these IDE 611 blogs don’t cover current events, I’d like to divert from that norm to something that is really important and powerful to vloggers: creating a community.

As we all have heard by now, November 13 marked one of the deadliest attacks on French soil since WWII, and no matter what side you fall on, we can all agree that there is a lot of anger and frustration, and most importantly sadness and mourning around the events that happened in Paris, Beruit, and Japan last Friday.

#ParisIsAboutLife

So, what role do vloggers play? Vloggers are our first sources to personal information about the event. Yes, your cousin probably posted his or her opinions about the lack of media coverage in Beruit or their opinions on refugees. Yes, the news was filled with the harrowing details of what was going on, but that’s not what I wanted to see. I logged on to Youtube later in the day to watch this video by Hank Green. Suddenly, mourning had a face.

My feelings and frustrations were validated by Hank’s soliloquy in a way facts and figures just couldn’t do.

I’ll say it before, and I’ll say it again, the value of vlogging is the community, and the Vloggers and Youtubers have a responsibility to lead that community. Many of them responded over twitter to the Paris attacks as the events unfolded.

As we begin to sort out the aftermath of the “9/11 of Paris,” as some have called it, I’d urge you to think about your own communities around you, and the role you play within them. We do this every day in our classes, on our facebook pages or possibly Youtube channels, and our community as citizens of the world. As the world mourns, how can you become a better citizen of it?

…

Don’t worry, I didn’t forget a Vlogger recommendation. In light of this week’s theme, of experiencing new cultures, I’d like to share with you a language learning channel: Lindsey Does Languages. Lindsey Dow is a popular polyglot (she knows and is able to use several languages), who through her blog, vlog, and classes, inspires people around the world to learn a new language. She has so many resources to learn languages, but I what I like best about her channel is that she delves into why we should be learning a second (or third, or fourth) language. Here are nine reasons you should learn French:

Video Killed the Blog Star: The History of the Vlog

Remember way back when (early 2000’s) when everyone was asking you to read their blog? Now, some of us struggle to blog for a class assignment. For this post, I’d like to go over the history of how the blog became so popular… and lucrative.

For this week’s vlog, I’d like to introduce you to “Educational Entertainer” CGP Grey (Youtube Channel). Grey is known for his explanative videos, covering politics, geography, and British Culture, which he narrates over simple animation. His videos are released less often than other vlogs due to the careful editing work.

In one of his most popular videos, Humans Need Not Apply, CGP Grey discusses how machines have and will continue to replace human jobs, in everything from agriculture to transportation, to art and music composition. Most of his videos are significantly shorter, so feel free to jump around to industries that interest you in this video.

This article by The Memo asks, “Did Video Kill the Blog Star?” From the opinion of this blogger, yes.

Back in the Early 2000’s blogging was everywhere you looked on the internet. Then, between 2006 and 2010, the number of teens blogging dropped by half. Coincidentally, Youtube was invented in 2007. Teens, the generation that would come to be known as “millennials,’ took to Youtube and other video-hosting sites by storm. Advertisers soon followed.

The fall of blogs may have also been due to the rise of ‘microblogs,’ or social media, as we know them today. Facebook was invented in 2004. Instead of compiling your daily thoughts into digestible, weekly posts, the average internet users could simply post a status.

Vlogging is still an art, reserved for the most dedicated creators, but the most popular vlogs are paying off (literally). Earlier this month, Forbes compiled data on its highest earning stars of 2015. There is no surprise that quite a few vloggers made that list.

Number 1 ($12 million) is PewDiePie, remember him from the last post? More vloggers on the list include Rhett and Link, for their satirical morning news show; Michelle Phan who began with celebrity look-alike makeup tutorials; Roman Atwood, prankster’ and Rosana Pansino, for her cooking tutorials vlog. Read the full interviews (and of course, watch the videos) here.

It’s easy to see vlogging and the video industry have surpassed anything bloggers could have been. So, do you agree? Did videos kills the blog star? What’s next for the world of internet entertainment?

Youtube Red and the Future of Vlogs

Right as I was about to begin blogging about the topic of vlogs, a huge meteor hit the world of online videos: Youtube Red. On October 28^th, Youtube launched its premium service, which had many vloggers debating the future of online video and what it would mean for their fans. In this post, I will cover some of these arguments as well as my own opinion of Youtube Red.

Okay, maybe you actually spend time outside of the internet (I hear it’s nice out there) and haven’t even heard of it yet. That’s because youtube, the video service we all know and love will not change, for the most part. Youtube Red is an option for users who want a more premium youtube experience, following the business models of other music services, such as Spotify Premium.  The only change in the Youtube will be certain videos only available to premium subscribers.

These premium videos are expected to look more like youtube-produced TV shows (like Netflix- exclusive shows). One of these shows will be co-produced by the creators of The Walking Dead, and Felix Kjellberg, better known by his vlogging alias, PewDiePie. PewDiePie’s vlogs started off as goofy, energetic commentary to video games. Now, he has expanded his vlogging topics and often raises money for various charities. In July 2014, PewDiePie became the most subscribed Youtube channel. Check out the trailer for his new Youtube Premium show Scare below, but be sure to also check out his Youtube channel here.

What is Youtube Red?

Along with exclusive content, for $9.99 a month, subscribers will be able to view Youtube without ads at all. I’m talking no pre-roll ads, no sidebar ads, and no annoying little boxes on the bottom of your videos. Youtube Red also allows streaming of music offline, and a 30-day download of your favorite videos. On mobile, subscribers can listen to videos while using other apps or dimming the screen. To learn more, check out this CNET article, or if you’re really interested, a free one month trial of Youtube Red is available.

Some believe Youtube Red will be better for creators. In the traditional Youtube business model, Youtube creators are paid based on the ads watched on their videos. For a long time, we have known that this is a horribly inefficient, capitalistic way to pay creators.Vviral videos are more rewarded than vlogs and channels that create a real community. With Youtube Red, the ten dollars will be distributed proportionally between all the videos that user watches that month. Adblock is another way people use to watch ad-free Youtube; however, creators such as PewDiePie have spoken out about how that harms creators.

On the flip side, others argue Youtube Red will create classes of “have”s and “have-not”s among Youtube consumers. The premium subscibers will be able to view exclusive videos, and more conveniently watch Youtube videos on their mobile devices. Vloggers worry their once strong communities will be divided, not to mention the inequality of those who can and cannot afford an extra $9.99 a month to spend on Youtube Red.

Youtube Red is still in its infancy. Youtube has yet to release subscriber data, nor have vloggers seen an effect on their audiences. I personally will not be purchasing Youtube Red. As a student, I cannot justify the extra cost for offline listening. As for ads? Yes, I shamelessly use ad-block software. Many of my favorite vloggers have repeatedly stated that directly supporting their efforts through Patrion or purchasing merchandise, is far more support than either watching ads or subscribing to Youtube Red.

(In case you were wondering, I have a John Green poster in my room and a Sci-Show mug.)

So, what about you readers? Would you consider subscribing to Youtube Red? Are there any other premium services you see the value in purchasing? (Spotify, LinkedIn, etc.)