Youboob...

By: Pete Thackston

That which first started simply because a man wanted to again witness the breast incident involving Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake during a Super Bowl halftime show has given birth to one of the most heavily trafficked and popular websites of all time. Since its inception in February 2005, Youtube is visited by approximately 300 million viewers per month. Seemingly these figures may present the idea that Youtube has become an addictive media source. The following are reasons for the media addiction of Youtube.

1. The ability to express yourself and the ability to watch other people expressing themselves. Virtually anyone with access to an internet source and a webcam can record anything and post it for the entire world to see. For some it may be expressing their political beliefs and ideas, while others may post videos of personal musical performances in hopes of being the next musical artist. The possibilities are endless. Youtube enables users a sense of democracy in media publication.

2. Youtube enables the viewer to watch and playback the selected video at their discretion. The video website does not limit the viewer to only a certain amount of views per video. The only requirement is that viewers have Adobe Flash Player which enables the viewer to watch the video on Youtube. Many users see Youtube as a free source of music videos and audio.

3. The capability of viewers to offer comment and personal perspective on each video. Each video enables the viewer to comment below the video, often times allowing the viewer to say things such as ‘Great Video!’, ‘New favorite song <3,’ or ‘Ha! Wardrobe malfunction??…sure…’

Youtube has ushered in a new ability to express ones self. Arguably one of the best inventions of our lifetimes, Youtube has facilitated expression across boundaries. The capability of endless personal expression has brought millions of viewers to Youtube which has brought to life an addictive media tool. I express these ideas with justification because I’m currently on Youtube listening to music as I write this.