*I accidentally deleted this Word document without saving while I was trying to post this so Kate gave me an extension*
To be honest, I’m not very active online. I have all the required accounts, a Facebook, an Instagram (with two pictures on it), a twitter, and maybe some other things that I signed up for but never go on. The three that I listed are my main protections against boredom and work. I use them, unfortunately quite effectively, to procrastinate or seem like I have something important that I’m looking at on my phone. Although I’m on these “social platforms” all the time, I rarely post anything. For example, my Facebook profile picture is from 7th grade and the only reason I have one is because a friend recommended it to me in Sophomore year. Most of my information on my Facebook comes from 7th grade too. I will admit though that during one interminably long summer I spent a lot of time on YouTube. Although not really the first social platform that pops into my head, YouTube is actually a great example for looking at the difference between people’s online persona and who they are in real life. One of the most famous YouTube channels is “Crash Course” on which the brothers John and Hank Green give crash course, thus the name, lessons in history, literature, chemistry, and biology. They also run another channel called “vlogbrothers” where they make letter styled videos to each other with topics ranging from trivial, like their favorite soccer team winning, to personal, like how pretty their childhood home looks in winter, to serious, like the benefits of national healthcare. “Crash Course” has over 3.3 million subscribers and “vlogbrothers” has over 2.6 million subscribers. These numbers translate into real life money generated from ads, merchandise, shows, etc. You may have heard the name John Green in another context. He is the author of the famous books turned movies, The Fault in Our Stars and Paper Towns. He uses media, such as twitter, Instagram, and YouTube to advertise these books and gain notoriety. You could make the argument that John Green would be a famous author without the aid of YouTube and that YouTube only accelerated his fame. But it’s hard to imagine separating the two timelines. The way in which YouTubers connect with their viewers in real life varies from person to person. John Green used books. His brother Hank is a touring musician. Another, “Zoella”, released a beauty line. Some, such as Tyler Oakley, have used their enormous fanbases to make social change. For example, this year Tyler raised over $525,000 in support of The Trevor Project an organization that provides help and support for LGBTQ youth. The thing that connects all of these people is that they have channels where they communicate directly with the viewer. Talking about their day, showing them doing challenges, or playing games with friends. These types of videos really allow them to create what feels like a personal connection. The line between who they are online and who they are in the real world gets blurred. However, “Zoella” once said something that really stuck with me. They can edit their lives, picking and choosing the most exciting bits and making it look as pretty as possible.
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December 2015
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