Youtube: Phenomenon or Something to be Criticized?

[Ashlyn Jensen]

      Youtube has been around for quite some time now, and is a website that almost everyone is familiar with, and uses daily or regulay. It's an easy, accessible and navigable site, making it so that almost everyone will be able to find something that they're looking for, and in most of the cases something you're not looking for, but happy you found. This easy access and the way that Youtube is set up has helped to set off careers of such Youtube sensations like Justin Bieber, as well as making videos like "Charlie Bit my Finger" and "David After Dentist" go viral. But not all "publicity" for Youtube is good publicity.

   This past Saturday, there was an 8.9 magnitude earthquake followed by tsunamis that hit Japan. People are devastated by the news, and people in Japan, and people in other countries, including America, were frantically and are continuing to search for family members, for so far 763 are counted dead and 639 are missing. In response to this event a Youtube video was made by a UCLA student named Alexandra Wallace. In the video she talks about trying to study for finals at her school, and how she kept getting distracted because her classmates in the library kept talking on the phone to their relatives overseas about what had happened in Japan. She made a couple of racist comments, and of course had to make sure not to offend any of her friends.  And at the end of the video thanked her viewers for watching.

   This is just one example of how this website can incorrectly be used. Youtube, while most of the time harmless and just a good sense of entertainment, can in some cases bring out some videos of people with views and opinions that bring up a large amount of controversy.  In the end she did apologize for what she had said, and said,"If I could take it back I would." But who wouldn't say that to get out of a sticky situation???

 

   What do you think? Do you agree with me? Do you think that Youtube is mostly a good source of entertainment, but sometime brings out a few crazies? Let me know!!! :)

 

 

 

                                    

                                                                                     

 

[Davy Mellado]

Youtube is an expression of yourself. If your a dick, welp, that sucks because now everyone knows it. So really, what we all need to realize is that the truth is good, even when it's ugly. It sets us free an get us to realize, were all not just good ol' humans, we have problems to fix. And we can't escape them.

[Mike Artov]

YouTube is a great way to kill some time and have fun while you are doing it and i think that YouTube is a growing sight that will eventually filter "bad" videos. in general, just dont watch the bad videos.

[Michael Naselli]

I think that youtube is great! Of course sometimes people will be dumb and put innapropriate things on youtube but that happens everywhere i feel like. Youtube has changed the way people think of videos on the internet and has made many people famous just by the videos they upload. Youtube is an awesome way to express yourself

[Kristina Lopez]

I use YouTube everyday.  I use it for news, a good laugh, or watching some of my favorite "YouTubers".  I think that just one bad video on YouTube is not going to impact the world.  There are millions of videos like this, but no body notices those.  However, YouTube live streamed all of the action that happened in Japan which really informed me and millions of other users.  What a lot of people don't realize is that girls like the UCLA girl exist everywhere, and they will never go away.  I think making a big deal about one of the millions of bad videos on YouTube is a bit ridiculous.

[Bianca Cerna]

I think youtube can be really great and funny but that girl needs to chill the hell out. There's people dying and she's complaining about students using their cells in the library! That's ridiculous. Obviously she has no heart and I bet she's the one with no manners.

[Connor Bieda]

I think Youtube overall has its ups and downs, most of the time its actually pretty funny or informational, but then sometimes there are people like the girl you mentioned who ripped on people.  Another bad thing on youtube is that video "Friday" by Rebecca Black, people destroyed her with their comments and emotionally put her down.