Why do You......Tube?

Just today, my family had a graduation party for my brother Tom, who just yesterday graduated from High School. At the party, there was family, friends, and some of my brother's friends parents. It came to be that they all had something in common. They ALL had seen my youtube videos. Most of them said that they thought they were funny, and would point out one that they liked. I mean, I can't really tell if they actually liked them or if they were just trying to be nice, but that's besides the point. Anyways, one of the things that everyone asks me when they bring up my youtube videos is, "Why do you make them?" That question always makes me think.....why do iTube (get it?)? After months of thinking, here's what I've finally thought up.


Just a few years, youtube came into the public eye. Since that time, and even before, I had been on youtube, mostly checking out music videos and funny videos, but not even thinking about posting any (mostly because I was scared that my parents would find out and KILL me). Then, I came across people like Brookers and Lonelygirl15 (before she was exposed). These were the people who I saw as "regular" people who make videos for fun and just post them on youtube. So, after seeing them, I decided that maybe I should try. I posted my first lip syncing video. Hours after posting, one of my friends had found it and showed many people online. A few of the people I knew saw it, but all anyone said was "hahahahaha" about it. So, I decided that I should continue to make these "Youtube" videos. After a while, I began to find people all over the site that I thought were funny, or made cool videos, or had a lot of things to say. That only made me wanted to post videos even more, so I could be just like them. Everything was fine in my own "youtube land", until a few months later, when the criticism started.....

I had walked into school, when one of "those" kids (you know, the ones with the tilted baseball hat, shorts that are so far down they look like long pants, and gold chains) came up to me and mockingly said, "Youtube kid, youtube kid, gimme your autograph!" Doing the only thing that I though I could do, I just pretended like I didn't hear anything and just kept walking. He continued to follow me down the hallway making a scence, and it was really awakward. After a while though, he stopped, and I just went on with my day. That was the first time that I had been mocked for making my youtube videos (aside from those random anonymous haters who leave comments). Then after that, I began getting mixed reviews all the time. Kids started showing their parents, and soon parents were coming up to me telling me how funny I was on "the youtube" (whether they were saying that truthfully, I'll never know), classmates were either laughing at me for making them, or reciting a line they they remembered from them. I mean, don't get me wrong, there were a few people who supported me in making them, but they never seemed to outway the negative. Anyways, a few weeks ago, it finally hit me. My best friend, Ian, told me that making youtube videos was dumb, and that there is no reason why I should even make them. That made me wonder if I even should....but through thinking, I thought of something important.....

By making these youtube videos, I'm able to show the little creativity that I have to the world. I'm able to jump around doing different things, or make a video with crazy editing, or show the world something that had happened to me. It's my way of communicating to the the world. The reason why I youtube, is because it's my way of reaching out to the world. Other's play sports, some do the school play, but I see this new form of media as my way to express myself. I know many people don't like my videos, and they have every right to hate them, but...I don't care...it's what I love to do. I don't make fun of football players for grooping eachother on the field or watching each other change in the locker room, so they have no reason to judge me on making youtube videos.

I've come to see that it's hard for some people to relize that there's a new form of communication and media. Like some people in the 1970's believed that they computer would go nowhere, there are people who feel that places like youtube are never going to last, and are "dumb".

That's why, when people ask me why I youtube, I'm going to tell them that it's a form of communicating with people, much like through television, radio, and movies, and that even though it is hard to grasp, that you should be open to it, and give it a try.




Now, I wanna know, if your on youtube, why do you tube? Tell me what happens when someone you know see's a youtube video of yours, and how you deal with the pressures from those people who either like or hate your videos, in the comments!


~Chris