The social network that I have chosen to join is YouTube. I decided to join because although I regularly use Facebook I wanted to see if what I understand about that particular networking site was transferable to YouTube. Not surprisingly there are many similarities between the two.
YouTube is the largest and most popular of all video sharing sites, with "1 billion unique users visiting each month". (YouTube, 2013). Originally designed to let amateur users upload their homemade videos, YouTube has empowered the public. Letting them broadcast themselves globally, connecting people from different cultures, religions, countries and interest groups. A great example of this empowerment at work is how the site is used by activists, rebels and normal citizens during the Arab Spring. Rebels and civilians in Libya were posting daily videos of the situation in the countries major cities, logging the atrocities committed by Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's forces. In many cases these videos then became valuable sources of news for western news media.
Obviously you cannot communicate through video only, so users are provided with opportunity to comment on what they have just watched. Usually it is just a comment of appreciation, other times the video starts discussions. However, there are instances when these discussions become arguments, as is often the case when so many opinions are so easily connected to opposing ones. Time magazine journalist Lev Grossman summarizes the issue quite effectively, "Social networking harnesses the stupidity of crowds as well as its wisdom" (Grossman, 2006).
To some extent, the "naked hatred" (Grossman, 2006) expressed by some individuals shows in essence a break down in the social controls one has over themselves via, "Learned self-surveillance" (Turkle, 1995, p.248). Though it must be reiterated that it is only prevalent in a few individuals.
References:
Grossman, L. (2006, December 25). You-Yes, You- Are TIME's Person of The Year. TIME Magazine, Retrieved From http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1570810,00.html
YouTube (2013), About Us - Statistics, Retrived from
http://www.youtube.com/yt/press/statistics.html
To some extent, the "naked hatred" (Grossman, 2006) expressed by some individuals shows in essence a break down in the social controls one has over themselves via, "Learned self-surveillance" (Turkle, 1995, p.248). Though it must be reiterated that it is only prevalent in a few individuals.
References:
Grossman, L. (2006, December 25). You-Yes, You- Are TIME's Person of The Year. TIME Magazine, Retrieved From http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1570810,00.html
Turkle, S. (1995). Life on the Screen: Identity in the Age of the Internet. New York; America. Simon and Schuster Paperbacks.
YouTube (2013), About Us - Statistics, Retrived from
http://www.youtube.com/yt/press/statistics.html
This is rather a good post, one of the best ways for media to explode in cyberspace say overnight, is to make sure they grab the attention of their viewers through visual and audio components. But I'll have to agree with Grossman's statement. "Social networking harnesses the stupidity of crowds as well as its wisdom." Sometimes having too much power over a particular area can cause people to do stupid things and abuse the power of authorities. Yet there are also other who have so much to share but can't be heard because it's hard to identify one's self in the vast open space of never ending cyberspace. Thank you for doing a post on Youtube, this post has enlightened me. =)
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